Marian devotees flock to this Cebu monastery during Holy Week

Posted at 4:10 pm February 10, 2011

Tags: Churches and Places of Worship, Museums

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By KC Santos

SIBONGA, CEBU – The Monastery of the Marian Monks, located atop the mountainous northern area of Cebu, is a revered place of worship by both locals and tourists who seek spiritual refuge from the holy image that it houses.

This iconic cathedral is located in Sibonga, approximately a three-hour drive from the main city of Cebu.

Sibonga is ranked a first class municipality in the province and is home to over 40,000 locals who rely on fishing and agriculture as their main source of livelihood.

During Holy Week, thousands of people from far-flung provinces would drive all the way to visit the Monastery of the Marian Monks that houses the miraculous image of the Lady of Manaoag.

Reaching the top of the hill where the main church is stands is quite a feat since the way up is really steep. Yet believers of Our Lady of Manaoag brave through the flight of zigzagged stairs just to experience or have a feel of the holy aura to be felt inside the church.

The 40-minute climb isn’t even the first challenge to get through. The moment you step out of your car, vendors of holy water, oils and scapulars will hoard you and will not stop unless you make purchase.

Attractions like a wishing well, a small lake and practically the whole surrounding vegetation of the shrine will be seen on your way up, beautiful enough to distract you from the steps you have to endure.

There are various stops you have to make before getting in the covered church. First of which is the wish list area.

On sheets of blank paper, write down as many wishes and prayers that you can think of. Devotees say you should not let others take a peek of what you wrote, otherwise these won’t come true. The next stop is the “message” area.

This area leads to the huge image of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Manaoag. In this lane are cabinets of artifacts, letters, pictures and testaments of the people who are said to have experienced the miracle of the holy image either through their careers or sickness.

The red carpet that leads you to the holy image is sacred and therefore every person in line must go barefoot.

As you reach the image, you are supposed to pray that she listens to your prayers and then on a small slot located at its foot, you should slip in your wish list.

As you alight from the pedestal of the image, another lane will take you to a praying area, where another image awaits you.

With a family member, you shall wear the veil readied in that station and pray for forgiveness. Devotees say this is where the most tears are shed since the vibe of the image for some reason becomes too intense.

The fun part is the actual window where a monk awaits the devotee. You don’t really get to see a lot of him but his hands, which upon your request will hand over a scoop of dried rose petals that are said to have been blessed with tears coming from the miraculous image of Our Lady of Manoag.

Devotees usually mix the petals in a bottle of water and drink it as it is said to have healing powers.

A museum inside a church is a rare sight but not in this church. To be found on the second floor are texts, memorabilia, and images of Jesus Christ.

The monks were able to preserve rare pieces of the image of Christ from the totem-like carvings to the improved artistry which evolved into its current, more common look. The history of the monks’ settlement in the mountain is also archived in this museum.

Unlike other places of worship, the solemn vibe inside this church is really felt with everyone go to there to pray and seek for forgiveness.

The next time you might need some spiritual refuge, travel a little farther down in Cebu and visit the Monastery of the Marian Monks.

(Photos taken from My Cebu Photo Blog)