Church of Santo Niño Basilica

Santo Niño Basilica

(Basilica Minore del Santo Niño)

Cebu City

By Lakwatsero

Formerly known as the San Agustin Church, the Santo Niño Basilica houses the Philippines' oldest religious relic: the Santo Niño.

Santo Niño Basilica Church

Basilica del Santo Niño Church Marker

side of the Santo Niño Basilica Church

The Basilica of Santo Niño or Basilica del Santo Niño is a 16th century church in Cebu City in the Philippines. It was built on the exact spot where the image of the Santo Niño, a sculpture depicting the Holy Child Jesus was founded by Spanish explorers in 1565 preserved in a burned wooden box which was left behind during the 1521 Magellan expedition.

Church Altar

some of the devotees kneel down in this place

Beautiful painted celing of the Church

The painted ceiling up close capture.

The Santo Niño is a gem-festooned statue of the holy infant Jesus, given by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana on the occasion of her baptism in 1521.

Santo Niño del Basilica

Forty-four years later, when a large fire swept Cebu city, the statue miraculously survived and was rediscovered undamaged. A church was built on the spot where the relic was found. This church -- and two later ones built in the same location -- were destroyed by fire, and the present basilica was built in 1740.

Side part of the Basilica Church

another side of the church

The Pilgrim Center
The Sto. Niño Friday Novena and Mass devotees keep increasing over the years and could easily fill the Basilica beyond its capacity. To accommodate this growing number of devotees who come to hear mass in the basilica, a pilgrim center was built within the church compound opposite of the Basilica and Holy Mass is celebrated on Fridays and other Religious Festivities are held here in the open-air, theater-like structure.
Completed in September 1990, this open-air structure can accommodate 3,500 people and was constructed from the generous contributions from Sto Niño devotees around the world. The basement of the Pilgrim's Center houses the Basilica Del Sto. Niño Museum .

The Pilgrim Center

For me and my wife where so lucky to be in this church, we have the chance to pray for our selves, our kidz, and my family and relatives. Hope to be back in this place, together with my wife and with my kidz.