Basilica del Santo Niño Cebu 14 Nov 2015

It supposing is just a quick walk from Fort San Pedro, then we can already reach the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child, commonly known as Santo Niño Church.

But we were quite confuse on the streets and we sort of missing and the some of the streets we passed by, we saw quite a number of homeless street children.

Finally we asked around and get to our destination too. We had our lunch at the famous Philippines fast food chain – Jollibee, before we headed crossed the street to the church.

Cebu’s historical Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is the oldest Catholic Church in Cebu. Located at the heart of downtown Cebu, the Basilica is a house of prayer and pilgrimage to hundreds of thousands of people each year. It houses the image of the Sto.Niño, a representation of Jesus as a black Holy Child.

The Church is built on the exact spot where Spanish explorers in 1565 found the Holy Child sculpture. A burned wooden box left behind during the 1521 Magellan expedition preserved the Holy Child carving.

The Spaniards, who discovered the image, called it miraculous for it survived the fire that destroyed the structure that housed it. The fire had totally blackened it and made it hardly recognizable.

Augustinian priest Fr. Andres de Urdaneta founded Sto. Niño convent on April 28, 1965, the same day the Legazpi-Urdaneta expedition arrived in the shores of Cebu.

The Basilica has an architectural style that is a blend of Muslim, Romanesque and neo-classicism. The facade of the church is still in its original stone texture and natural colour which conveys a simple elegance.

The bell tower serves as a counterbalance to the convent situated at the opposite far end. Its rounded dome is of Muslim influence. The centre section is the focus of attention. The rectangular corners on the side balance the arched main entrance and a double-edged triangular pediment crowns the facade.

A small museum inside the Basilica is also a beautiful thing to appreciate as it seems to record the history of Christianity in Cebu. It displays various antique objects, century-old furniture, priestly garments and the Sto. Niño’s old cloaks donated by individuals over the centuries.

There are also religious articles such as statues and relics and other items of daily life which were donations by the devotees.

In the centre of the church , there is a courtyard like garden with statues and fountains. It is a serene place just to rest or sit around. It is calm here.

The Sto.Niño image in the Basilica is widely believed to be the same one given by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana back in 1521, as a gift for their allegiance. It is reputed to be miraculous as basilica helpers attest that it sometimes goes out of its glass case to take long walks at night.

They point to the grass stains found at the statue’s dress as evidence.  This has been dismissed as superstition, but it has strengthened the belief of devotees that the Sto. Niño watches over their homeland. The Sto. Niño, patron of Cebu, is the one whom Cebuanos turn to for strength and guidance in the happy and sad times.

The church was damaged during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Visayas on October 15, 2013. But it is now undergoing repair and renovation to preserve the structure of the church during our visit there.

We were so eager wanted to look for our next destination, until we forgot to take an external building photo. Out side the church, there is a newly constructed Pilgrim Centre as it is an open-air theatre-like structure and besides it is a prayer area with a lot of votive candles stands.

After that, we found our way and look for the Magellan’s Cross, as we know it is somewhere nearby.

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