Churches in Cebu City

There are so many Catholic churches in Cebu City alone. There are actually nineteen (19) to be exact. For now, here are the different churches that I was able to visit in Cebu City.

The Basilica Minore del Santo Nino Cebu

Santo Nino Basilica or Minor Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebu is the most famous amongst the churches in Cebu City. It was founded in 1565 by the two friars, Andres de Urdaneta and Diego de Herrera. The Santo Nino Basilica is the oldest Roman Catholic church and is the symbol of the birth of Christianity in the Philippines. The famous icon, a statuette of the child Jesus, is where the Basilica was built on the spot where it was found.


There is a convent, a museum and a library inside the church. There are the pilgrim site and the candles offering. The museum is located at the basement of the Pilgrim Center and the library was opened for public in 2000. The Basilica’s main entrance is located at Osmena Street in Cebu City.
The annual Sinulog festival is celebrated in January for the feast of the Sto Nino.

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

Another church which is two blocks north of basilica is the Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of Saint Vitalis and of the Immaculate Concepcion, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu. On August 14, 1595, the province of Cebu was established as a diocese. It is also one of the first churches in the Philippines that was built for St. Vitalis and by the two friars that built the Basilica. A mausoleum was built for the final resting place of the remains of the bishops and clergy.

Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the official patroness of Cebu by virtue of a pontifical declaration decree dated May 9, 2006, issued by the Vatican’s Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. The parish church is located at barangay Guadalupe. It was established on May 1, 1933, and was declared as the Archdiocesan Shrine.

The Redemptorist Church

It is known as the Congregation of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church. The old Chapel and Monastery was blessed and occupied on the 2nd of August 1929. It was built under the direction of Fr. William Byrne, CSsR. The Church was built with the help of the donations of parishioners and was open for mass in the Christmas of 1949. It is located at Queen’s Road, Cebu City.
The Redemptorist Church is the closest to my heart as this was my first church to visit in Cebu. I always booked my hotel near this area and attended mass every time I visit Cebu. There are 15 more to visit. I’ll tick it off the list next time.