Manila Guide Online

There is never a moment wherein you doubt God about miracles in everyday lives. It may be impossible to other people, but to those with great faith will always remain possible. Everyday, people flock down to visit Simala, a church in Argao which has done wonders to everyone. Simala is a place for worship, prayers, offerings and love masses. Every 13th and on weekends, the church is jam-packed with so many people that so many times, the line goes beyond the church. The line is made for people who would like to viist the Virgin Mary.

In south Cebu, thousands of Cebuanos and other visitors from far and wide, climb up a hill to the Mother Mary Shrine in Simala, Sibonga town, bringing their faith and petitions for cures and other divine aid.

Each year, the crowd of devotees and first-time pilgrims seems to grow bigger.

January 1 is marked in the Christian calendar worldwide as a solemnity in honor of Mary as the mother of God, a day of obligation for Catholics to attend Mass.

At the Mother Mary Shrine in upper Lindogon in Barangay (village) Simala, Sibonga town, 48 kilometers south of Cebu City, devotees come by truckloads to be there every 13th of the month to hear Mass at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. or during the weekends at 3 p.m.

The shrine became “famous” after word spread that the image of the Virgin Mary was seen “shedding tears of blood,” a phenomenon that lacks scientific or official church validation but nevertheless draws more people to the area.

The shrine became “famous” after word spread that the image of the Virgin Mary was
seen “shedding tears of blood,” a phenomenon that lacks scientific or official church validation but nevertheless draws more people to the area. The Marian monks who maintain the shrine have also landscaped the area, which has a mini falls that cascades down a small pool and well-tended gardens. Signboards warn people that picking the flowers would be like “stealing from Mother Mary”. Families can have picnics and meals in cottages built for visitors. Children like to throw coins in a wishing well which features a large bell. Those who grumble about the distance are quickly shamed by the sight of elderly men and women on wheelchairs and crutches who go there to hear Mass and line up to kiss the image of Mary.

Miracles can happen and it is up to your faith on where you believe in.