On the 15th day of my vacation, Dadi, Mama and I had the chance to visit again the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist popularly known as Simala Church in Barangay Lindogon, Simala, Sibonga.
It was on a Monday that we went there. We strategically chose to visit that church not on a Sunday or the 13th day of the month so we can avoid the rush of visiting devotees on these days. This is a very good advice to take if you want to experience more the solemnity of the place.
Below are some of the photos I snapped during our visit.
We went to Sibonga via Ceres bus.
It’s an around 47-kilometer ride (Linao, Minglanilla to Sibonga) so might as well enjoy Cebu South’s scenic view.
Welcome to Barangay Simala. After hours of travel we have finally reached this corner.
From there, we rode on a tricycle to get us to the church.
Another ride option is by habal-habal, a local term for motorbike. Whichever it is, the fare is P20 for each passenger.
This is what I meant about going there on a non-peak day. No traffic.
Loving the backride.
Fruit and vegetable stall along the way. With hundreds or even thousands of churchgoers, this really seems a good opportunity for business. 😉
The ride takes 10 minutes.
We’re here! The gates of the Monastery.
The Simala Church, house of the Miraculous Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Very grandiose, isn’t it?
Hello there Lil Girl! She used to ride on that cart behind her that was also attached to a cow. Now, she’s on the ground and actually lost an arm. She’s still very cute though.
The Wishing Well–just before you reach the comfort rooms.
Luscious garden.
Waterfalls. The sound of falling waters really brings some magic to our senses. Don’t you think?
Cottages are available where family or groups of pilgrims can stay for free. They can eat their baon here.
More cottages.
The grand staircases. Both for entrance and exit to the church.
This one’s for the exit.
On that day we were there, the sun was up and it was verrrry hot so we opted to pass through the old stairways.
Please Respect.
One of the outlets where you can buy colored candles and other religious items.
The main altar.
The candle lighting area.
Special colored candles or ordinary brown-colored ones.
Thousands of granted petitions are displayed in cabinets. They are in the form of thank you letters and testimonials of their granted wishes through the intercession of Mary.
Pencils, calculators and sharpeners of successful examinees are also on display.
This is the part where pilgrims have to remove their footwear.
Statue guard.
The very beautiful Miraculous Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
FYI: The Sacred Statue of the Blessed Virgin has shed tears in 1998. Since then numerous of devotees has come to pay homage to the Virgin.
Devotees can continue saying their prayer to the Virgin on the kneelers provide below the image.
One should not miss exploring this area where different images of Mary are displayed.
There also an image of Sr. Sto. Niño.
The most photographed area, i think.
Big ‘Fake’ Smile from Mama. Hahaha 🙂
The latest structure of the church. This what I will brand as the left wing. Left, that is, if your facing the church.
Wow.
Picturesque Simala. Devotees just can’t get enough of snapping pictures of the place.
Right Wing still under construction.
Visit the SImala Church, too, while we will surely come back again and again. 🙂
