Cebu never disappoints. It boasts more than its awe-inspiring natural resources, it is also a melting pot of history!
Being the cradle of Christianity in the Philippines, it is not a surprise that Cebu is the home of several beautiful and historic churches.
Famous for its grandiose architectural design, both tourists and locals alike are taken aback and gaze at these buildings in reverence and astonishment.
Here is a list of the top 10 beautiful churches in Cebu.
1. Basilica del Santo Niño (Cebu City)
- Location: Pilgrim’s Center, Osmeña Blvd, Cebu City, Cebu
- Feast Date: Every 3rd Sunday of January
- Fun Facts:
– The church was built on the exact spot where Spanish explorers in 1565 found the scripture of the Holy Child Jesus
– There is a museum inside the church where you can learn more about the olden times of Christianity in Cebu. The museum presents various century-old furniture, antique objects, and some of Sto. Niño’s old cloaks donated by devotees
– Sinulog is the name of the grand fiesta in honor of Senior Sto Nino. Numerous extravagant events are prepared for the fiesta every year
Mass Schedule (as of February 2018):
2. Simala Lindogon Church (Sibonga)
- Location: Marian Hills, Lindogon, Simala, Sibonga, Cebu, Philippines
- Feast Day: September 8 (Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Fun Fact: Inside the church, you can see a variety of the Blessed Virgin Mary statues representing diverse cultures not only by the various provinces of the Philippines, but by the different countries as well
Mass Schedule (as of March 2016):
3. Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral (Cebu City)
- Location: Mabini St., Cebu City, Cebu
- Feast Day: April 28
- Fun Facts:
– When the province became a part of the suffragan dioceses under the archdiocese of Manila in 1595, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral was established to be the seat of the Cebu bishop
– The church took a very long time to build due to lack of funds. At one time, the allotted budget for the construction of the Cathedral was given for the moro wars happening in Mindanao.
Mass Schedule (as of January 2017):
4. Saint Catherine of Alexandria Church (Carcar)
- Location: Carcar, Cebu
- Feast Day: November 25
- Fun Facts:
– Saint Catherine of Alexandria Church is the second oldest church in Cebu
– The church is known to have different design inspirations having a Greco-Roman altar, byzantine architecture and twin towers with a minaret shaped like the Muslim mosques
Mass Schedule (as of August 2016):
5. Saint Peter and Paul Bantayan Church
- Location: Pres. M. L. Quezon St., Bantayan Island, Cebu
- Feast Day: June 29
- Fun Facts:
– The church who honors Saint Peter and Paul, is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines
– During 1628, the original church was ruined by Moro raids and 800 Bantayanons were taken as slaves by the Moro Pirates
6. Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church (Boljoon)
- Location: Boljoon, Cebu
- Feast Day: Every 2nd Sunday of November
- Fun Facts:
– The design and religious items inside the church are all about the Mother of God since the church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary
– The church has been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1999. It was also named as one of the National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001. Lastly, the church is also nominated to be part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines by the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
7. Saint Michael Parish Church (Argao)
- Location: Argao, Cebu
- Feast Day: September 29
- Fun Facts:
– In September 23, 2007, Cebu Archbishop Ricard Cardinal Vidal officially declared the church as the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Michael Archangel. Being an Archdiocesan Shrine, the church offers distinctive rights and privileges including special blessings and indulgences to the devotees visiting it.
– There are more or less 20 angel figures lining the walls and poles leading to the altar which are still the original ones.
8. Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church (Danao)
- Location: Danao, Cebu
- Feast Day: Every 3rd Sunday of September
- Fun Fact:
– The dome of the church has a replica of a mitre which symbolizes the parish’s patron saint, Santo Tomas de Villanueva
Mass Schedule (as of August 2016):
9. San Fernando Rey Parish Church (Liloan)
- Location: Central Nautical Highway, Liloan, Cebu
- Feast Day: May 29 and 30
- Fun Facts:
There are two features that makes the San Fernando Rey Parish Church unique compared to other churches in Cebu built during the Spanish era.
– The church was built facing the mountain to the West unlike the usual churches where it faces the sea to the East
– The church was built much bigger than other churches even with the little population size during that time
Mass Schedule (as of August 2016):
10. San Guillermo Parish (Catmon)
- Location: San Jose, Catmon, Cebu
- Feast Day: February 10
- Fun Fact:
– The church is one of the Spanish colonial era churches here in Cebu that still has its attic situated above the sacristy.
