Visita Iglesia 2024: Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan Parish in Mactan

Facade of Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan Parish. CDN Digital Photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — In this Holy Week, part of the tradition of the Roman Catholics across the country is holding ‘Visita Iglesia,’ where the faithful visit seven churches either on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.

Twenty-eight years ago, religious architecture was established in the historic resort city of Lapu-Lapu City.

READ: Holy Week 2024: Religious places you can visit in Cebu

This establishment is nestled in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, located approximately 19.6 kilometers away from Cebu City.

If you are in Cebu and planning to start from the north to the south, you might want to visit the Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan Parish.

CDN Digital visited and asked a psalmist and a treasurer-consultant who served in this parish for quite some time now. They shared some interesting information about this religious parish.

Fely, a psalmist for almost 20 years, and Rosario, a treasurer-consultant for 23 years, said the parish was built in 1996 and designed by Jose Mari Cañizares, a year later, it became a parish through an Episcopal Decree signed by the late Cardinal Vidal.

Its second patroness is the Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

READ: Visita Iglesia: 7 churches to visit in Cebu during the Holy Week 2024

Designed after Magellan’s headdress

Before it was turned over to the Archdiocese of Cebu in 2016, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) managed the parish, according to Fely. This is also evident in the monument outside the church, specifically on the left side facing the parish. This monument was Fr. Jules Chevalier, the founder of the MSC.

Monument of Fr. Jules Chevalier, the founder of the MSC. CDND photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

Furthermore, an interesting fact about this religious infrastructure was its design.

Another angle of the parish’s facade. CDND photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

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Fely and Rosario said that they learned that the parish was designed after morion, the headdress of the Spanish colonizer, Ferdinand Magellan, who arrived on the island of Mactan in 1521, where he was also killed by then Chief Lapulapu.

“Mao’y among namat-an og buot nga gi-design daw ni siya sa kalo ni Magellan. Mao ni siya di ba lahi siya sa uban kay nangutana mi nganong gi-design og ingon ani. Tungod daw kay gi-pattern siya according sa kalo ni Magellan,” Fely said.

(This is what we learned since we were young that the design was based on the helmet of Magellan. That is why this church is different because we asked why it was designed this way. It is because it was patterned according to the helmet of Magellan.)

When you visit the parish, the soft edges of the morion-shaped roof will welcome you from the outside. Its pediment, which formed like a soft-edged triangle, holds the image of the Holy Child, Santo Niño.

What inside of the Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan Parish in Mactan look like.| Nina Mae Oliverio

The choir loft is located at the front of the stained glass of the Holy Child. CDND photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

READ: Spend Holy Week in churches, not on beaches – bishop

As you enter the altar, the stained glasses, which seemed dull from the outside, would become vibrant with holy images, including a Mary holding the Child Jesus.

Moreover, there is also an area allotted for the choir, which is located at the front of the stained glass that reflects Sto. Niño. Fely said they called it “choir loft.”

Moreover, the main altar is accentuated with gold, from the podium to the cases where the saints are housed.

The huge crucifix with Jesus Christ is also featured on the altar, opening his arms to the faithful.

Altar of Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan parish. CDND photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

The parish also housed several saints, including Nuestra Señora de la Regla San Pedro Calungsod, San Lorenzo Ruiz, and San Roque.

Apart from the Lapulapu monument, Fely said that tourists also visit their Sto. Niño parish here. Its feast is celebrated every third Sunday of February.

Vendors were seen selling flowers and other goods inside Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan, across the Mactan Newtown. CDN Digital photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

How to get there?

From Cebu City to Lapu-Lapu City, you may choose to ride a van for hire at SM City Cebu and pay around P40 fare.

But if you are coming from downtown Cebu, you can ride via 23D public utility jeepney and pay a P35 fare and you will be dropped off in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City.

From there, find a jeepney which has a route going to Barangay Soong because it will also pass to Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan Parish and pay a P20 fare.

A friendly reminder, do not forget to tell the driver that you will be dropping off at the Mactan Newtown because the parish is located just across it.

Note: CDN Digital are featuring alternative churches, parishes or shrines that the faithful can visit for the Visita Iglesia this coming Maundy Thursday or Holy Friday. Sto. Niño de Cebu Mactan Parish in Mactan is one of them.