Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu

When you don't know where to go for a day, or if plans don't happen as you want it to be, you are always welcome to the house of the Lord.

Welcome for another episode of being a pilgrim on this part of the City of Cebu. Attended the 6 pm mass Saturday afternoon.

Snippet of the History

Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City is a Romanesque minor basilica and one of only two National Cultural Treasures located in Cebu, Philippines. It was given the honorific title Basilica Minore in 1965.

Established in 1565, it is the first and the oldest Roman Catholic church in Cebu and in the Philippines.

In the olden times, it was called the Church of San Agustin. It is also known as Santo Niño Church of Cebu, Church of the Sto. Niño, and Basilica del Sto. Niño.

_{Miniature Model of the Church displayed in a glass box near the Office entrance}

The towering structure was built on the very site where the miraculous Senior Sto. Niño de Cebu was discovered by a member of the expedition led by Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in April 28, 1565. It was discovered ashore by a soldier and marked the spot where it is found. Soon thereafter, Father Andres de Urdaneta founded the convent and church in what is now Cebu.

_{A century bell 🔔 near the bell tower}

Throughout the times, the church had been destroyed and rebuilt several times under different priors. Father Diego de Herrera, the first prior of the convent, supervises the construction of the first church and convent buildings which were made of wood and nipa but it were hit by fire on November 1, 1566. During the the term of Father Juan Albarran, the current stone church was constructed. The stone building began constructing on 1735, while the succeeding priors applied the finishing touches until its completion in 1740.

Heritage

A historical marker was installed by the Philippine Historical Committee in 1941. On August 1, 1973, it was declared a National Historical Landmark by virtue of President Decree No. 260.

Finally, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the church and the pavilion containing the cross of Ferdinand Magellan as National Cultural Treasure in 2021.

Photos Taken Inside the Church

We could only take limited photos inside for the fact that we are entering a sacred place. Taking photos when mass is ongoing is prohibited.

We can come near the image of the Holy Child inside, queue is in the left wing of the church.

Have time to reflect and ask whatever your heart desires here. May the Sto. Niño bless our lives.

Celebration

The feast of Santo Niño de Cebu is held every third Sunday of January where in a cultural-religious fiesta called Sinulog Festival, one of the biggest and most popular festivals in the Philippines.

_{A memorable fiesta day mass here at the pilgrim center. It was so crowded but we were able to enter inside with lot of struggles.}

Candlelighting Area

After attending the Holy Mass, you can light candle here for your intention 🙏. May it be bless and heard .

Services

The gates to the basilica are opened from 6:00 in the morning and closes 6:00 in the evening. On Fridays and Saturdays, the opening of the gates occurs earlier at 4:30 in the morning and later at 8:00 in the evening.

Confession Schedule

Day	Time
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday	4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Friday	8:00 am - 12:00 noon and 4:00 am to 6:00 pm

Mass Schedule

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

Time	Language
7:00-8:00 AM	(Cebuano)
8:00-9:00 AM	(English - Live on Facebook & YouTube)
12:15- 1:15 PM	Cebuano
5:30-6:30 PM	English

Friday

Time	Language
5:00-6:00 AM	Cebuano
6:30-7:30 AM	Cebuano
8:00-9:00 AM	English - Live on Facebook & YouTube
9:30-10:30 AM	English - Live on Facebook & YouTube
11:00-12:00 AM	Cebuano
12:30-1:30 AM	English
2:00-3:00 PM	Cebuano - Live on Facebook & YouTube
3:30-4:30 PM	Cebuano
5:00-6:00 PM	English
6:30-7:30 PM	English

Sunday

5:00-6:00 AM (Cebuano)
6:30-7:30 AM (Cebuano)
8:00-9:00 AM (English - Live on Facebook & YouTube)
9:30-10:30 AM (English - Live on Facebook & YouTube)
11:00-12:00 AM (Cebuano)
12:30-1:30 AM (English)
2:00-3:00 PM (Cebuano - Live on Facebook & YouTube)
3:30-4:30 PM (Cebuano)
5:00-6:00 PM (English)
6:30-7:30 PM (English)

Sources	Click link
Facebook	Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu
Google Maps	Minor Basilica of Holy Child of Cebu
Reference	The Old Churches Website
Steem Atlas Website	https://steematlas.com/
Steem Atlas Link	[//]:# (!steematlas 10.29432233 lat 123.90212417 long Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu d3scr)

_{Date Visited: August 24,2025. All images are mine, taken by Vivo 1901. All rights reserved.}