Himala sa Simala

When the Hubby told me we were going to the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, a Maryan pilgrim’s haven in Simala 48 kilometers south of Cebu City, I was not expecting too much. I thought this would be another church where people flock and pray for miracles. Sure, I said. I couldn’t go to the malls all five days of my visit to Cebu, could I? So this would be a welcome change of view for all of us.

After roughly two hours of driving, we finally reached the place. When we reached there at 10 a.m., the parking lot was already full and a lot of devotees were already flocking the place.  

Paolo's first reaction was, “Whoa, how were they able to build such a place like that here? We were all impressed with the architecture of the church. Mind you, Barangay Simala is situated in a sleepy town of Sibonga, Carcar, but every day cars and truckloads of pilgrims herd to the sacred place to hear mass and beseech for a favor or two from the claimed miraculous image of Mother Mary. 

The castle-like facade at the background is the Church of Mother Mary

A word of warning: If you are to visit this place, make sure that you dress appropriately. No very short shorts, mini skirts, sleeveless, tube, spaghetti straps, etc. In other words, respect the place by not wearing things which you normally don at discos, parties, or the beach.

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Teehee. I was holding my dress as we were climbing the steep stairs, lest people will see my shorts underneath.
The Hubby scolded me for not wearing pants instead.

So what’s the big deal about Simala? Devotees said that in the year 1998, numerous miraculous occurrences happened to the image of Mother Mary when it shed tears and blood. Then word spread around. While it has never been scientifically proven, nor officially validated by the church, crowds of devotees have been going there just the same.

Some ask for physical healing…

Some for personal intentions like passing the board exams…

And those whose prayers had been answered left proofs for others to see.

So we too did what we had to do there by lighting some candles…

Writing some petitions…

And praying in front of the miraculous image.

Once you are inside, you will be asked to remove your shoes/slippers inside the building--sacred grounds, they say.

"To Kiss Mama Mary"

(Tip 1: I advise that you bring a bag big enough to put your shoes in. You don't want to lose them in the sea of footwear left outside the sacred room.)


Don't worry, the floors are kept clean and shiny, it's like walking inside your own house. Nakups, baka mas malinis pa nga doon!


 (Tip 2: If you are not comfortable walking through the building barefoot, you can choose to wear socks, like what the Daughter and I did)

If you are a Maryan devotee, you would be thrilled with the display of a numerous collection of the different Mama Mary’s recognized all over the world.

All the Mama Mary's in the world were represented...even China has their own...

...and Korea too.

There was even a Mama Mary which was depicted as having an incorruptible body.

We tried to count the images, and we estimated close to a hundred Mama Mary's.

It was well worth the four hour-drive going to and fro Simala. Prayers answered or not, the experience was still bonding time for the family, so that in itself was something I liked about this trip.

But of course, it won't hurt if Mama Mary answered all our prayers;-)