Hello Everyone here in Hive community! I’ve been so inspired in sharing with all of you my travel journey. I really do appreciate all your effort in reading my posts! I hope I let you smile while reading it.
At this time, let me take you to a place where you can feel that you are in a castle!
Let’s go south round this time! Let me take you to Simala Parish Church!
About Simala Parish Church:
It is located in Sibonga Cebu, just few kilometer away from Cebu City.
It is very known and popular religious site and tourist destination for how many years now.
The visitors and even the residents has a lots of call name about the church. They call it Mama Mary Shrine of Simala, Mother Mary Castle Church. Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, Miraculous Mama Mary Church, Birhen sa Simala but it was known for its name as Simala Shrine.
Why it became popular?
It became popular to many people even the people outside Cebu. Aside from Boljoon church that we’ve visited, Simala Church is also one of the most well-known because of how it was built and maintained that truly gives the best out of it. It is also known for its castle-like structure, the reason why some people calls it as the castle of Mary. The interior and exterior of the church truly gives a castle structure appearance that also attracts the visitors.
Most visitors find the place for picture-best and to find relaxation and peace.
It was built 24 years ago, back in 1998. The castle-like church was built by the Monks of Pampanga. They built it as just like an ordinary church, who would have known that it will become as one of the best tourist destination and one of the most popular church not just in Cebu but in the Philippines.
Decades had passed, the church had been to a lot of developments and improvements that lead it to what it is now, a castle-like structure church.
The exterior of the Church is bricks and mortar that can be seen outside. As you will notice that the church is placed in an uphill location. The visitors should get to the top by walking through the stairs. It may take you long to reach the top but it was all worth it and you will not get tired easily because along the way you will be taking lots of pictures because of its great view in any angle and in your every step.
They do have what they call “Dagkutanan”
a place they light candles, every color of the candle has its own meaning and representation, here as follows:
-White – purity
- Blue – perseverance
- Gray – deliverance
- Green – success
- Pink – healing
- Gold – healing
- Brown – vocation
- Yellow – peace
- Red – love
All the church has a dress code to follow for respect,
(shorts, mini skirts, backless, sleeveless is strictly not allowed inside the church, the clothes must cover your body)
Note: The place is a picture friendly area, but flying drones is not allowed for safety purposes. Capturing with flash is also not allowed for the maintenance of the relics and built structures inside the area)
How to get there:
Public transport- Take a bus going to Sibonga from the Cebu South Bus Terminal
Private transport- You can use any location app like Waze and google map, just search and navigate Simala Shine/Church Sibonga Cebu.
I visit old churches because of its history. I already shared to all of you that I truly love historical places, I get curious about it and also try to learn from it. My purpose why I love visiting historical places is to know how it was built and what was happened before. Although we do have different religions and beliefs but it does not specify our unity as a human being, and that all it matters.
So the next step that you need to do is visit and plan!
Stay tuned for our next little trip!
Always take care and just smile!
Love, from zel-diaries💜