Cebu’s historical Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
Foundation of the Church
The convent of the Sto. Niño de Cebu was founded by Fr. Andres de Urdaneta on April 28, 1565 , the very day the Legazpi-Urdaneta expedition arrived in the island. On May 8 of the same year, when Legaspi and his men planned the urbanization of the city, they allotted a “place for the church and the convent of San Agustin, “where the Santo Niño image had been found.”
In 1599, the convent was made a house of studies of grammar, headed by the Visayan linguist, Fr. Alonso de Mentrida. It also served as a rest house for missionaries working in the province and as a retirement home for the aged and the sick, usually attended to by a lay brother.
The church has always been the Sanctuary of the Sto. Niño, under the custody of the Augustinians. The number of priests assigned to the church varied from three to five aside from one or two lay brothers.
Devotion to Sto. Niño
The Chapter held on August 6, 1578 recommended to all the fathers “that prayers to the Sto. Niño be offered every month as was the custom before.” In 1641, the father provincial ordered that the feast of the Sto Niño be celebrated on January 14 “with all the possible solemnity, mass and sermon, since He deserves all the affection from us, being the Dulcisimo and most affectionate patron of our province.”
Fr. Nicolas de la Cuadra (1731) was very instrumental in spreading the devotion of the Sto. Niño. He led an exemplary life, had writings and solemn rites which he established in the sanctuary, and acquired many jewels for the decoration of the statue.
Fr. Nicolas de la Cuadra (1731) was very instrumental in spreading the devotion of the Sto. Niño. He led an exemplary life, had writings and solemn rites which he established in the sanctuary, and acquired many jewels for the decoration of the statue.
The first novena to the Santo Niño was introduced by Fr. Mateo Diez, rector of the sanctuary in 1889, under the Cebuano title Novena ug pagdayeg sa Sto. Niño Jesus nga guisimba sa cyudad sa Sugbu, printed in Mandaluyong, Asilo de Huerfanos, 1888. This novena has been reprinted countless times.
Up to this time, the number of Sto. Niño devotees who follow the novena and attend mass every Friday keeps on increasing.
Construction of the Church
- 1566 – the first church believed to be built on the site where the image of the Holy Child was found was destroyed by fire. It was said to be built by Fr. Diego de Herrera using wood and nipa.
- 1605 – Fr. Pedro Torres started the construction of a new church, again made of wood and nipa. It was finished in 1626 but was again burned in 1628.
- 1628 – Fr. Juan Medina started the construction of another church, using stone and bricks, a great innovation at that time. The construction was stopped because the structure was found to be defective – the bricks used seemingly “melted” upon contact with air.
- February 29, 1735 – Father Provincial Bergaño, Governor-General Fernando Valdes, Bishop Manuel Antonio Decio y Ocampo of Cebu and Juan de Albarran Prior of the Santo Niño, started the foundations of the present church, using stone. A lot of help came. Fr. Antonio Lopez, prior of San Nicolas, assisted also together with the people of his district. The residents of Talisay also did four weeks of work and Fr. Francisco Aballe also tried to help with his parishioners from Mactan.
The materials used
The stones were quarried from Capiz and Panay by an army of bancas. The molave wood came from the mountains of Talisay and Pitalo and was transported in bancas hired in Argao and Carcar. Fr. Albarran confessed that there was much difficulty in quarrying the stones. Despite the seemingly impossible task, Fr. Albarran was not discouraged. He used white stones to make the lime, with one banca transporting some 400 pieces of stones. There was also another obstacle: the lack of chief craftsmen and officers which forced Fr. Albarran to acquire some knowledge of architecture.
The church was finished not later than 1739. According to an author named Vela, “the church has all the characteristics of a solid construction to withstand all the earthquakes…” And true enough, the church withstood all earthquakes.
The original features of the church have been retained except for the windows added by Fr. Diez in 1889. In 1965, both church and convent underwent a bigger restoration on the occasion of the fourth centennial of the Christianization of the country. The face lifting was made with utmost respect for the historical character of the old structure.
Cardinal Hildebrando Antoniutti, Papal Legate to the Philippines , conferred upon the church the title of Basilica minore, a special privilege granted to the Augustinian Order by the Pope Paul VI. On the other hand, the former President Ferdinand Marcos declared the Sto. Niño Basilica a national shrine because of its historical significance.
Style of the Church
- Facade – a blending of Muslim, Romanesque and neo-classical features – all set in what has otherwise been described as a high degree of integration. The façade is preserved in its original stone texture and natural color, conveying an air of simplicity of line and elegance.
- Bell tower – serves as a counterbalance to the convent located on the opposite far end. It has two blind and open windows alternating in shape, ending up in triangular pinnacles with a circular disc crowned by balusters and a bulbous dome of Muslim influence.
- Center section – the focus of attention. The arched main entrance is balanced by the side rectangular corners. A double-edged triangular pediment crowns the facade.
The Shrine
Santo Niño Image
The image of the Santo Niño, which is kept in the parish convent, is considered the oldest religious relic in the Philippines. This was the image that Magellan gave to Queen Juana as a gift during the baptism of King Humabon and his wife Queen Juana on April 14, 1521.
Forty-four years later, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi with Fr. Andres de Urdaneta arrived in Cebu and formally Christianized the Cebuanos on April 27, 1565. However, they found the natives hostile and set the village on fire. It was in one of the burnt houses that Juan Camus, a soldier, found the image of the Santo Niño unscathed.
Since then, the miraculous image has been venerated by the Cebuanos and became the patron of Cebu. At present, the original Santo Niño adorned with gold and precious stones is enshrined in glass located on the left side of the Basilica altar for public veneration.
The Pilgrim’s 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.
Basilica del Sto. Niño Museum
The Basilica Del Sto. Nino Museum is located at the basement of the Pilgrim’s Center. It houses the Santo Niño vestments in various sizes. Valuable jewelry from rings to necklaces are placed in one display cabinet, gifts of devotees offered to the Santo Niño for his use during his feast on the third Sunday of January.
A camarera dresses up the original Santo Niño a day before the feast and during the procession on his feast day. Most of the Santo Niño’s vestments are of 17th-18th century style, design and quality including those of the priests’ and the collection of calices, patenas, ciborium, and venajeras. These are church pieces used during liturgical services.
Basilica del Sto. Nino Museum – Basilica del Sto. Nino Basement, Pilgrim’s Center, Osmena Blvd., Cebu City, telefax: ☎ +63.32.2550608. Curator: Fr. Rene Posa, OSA. Acting Curator: Fr. Dominador Besares, OSA. Open from Tuesdays thru Sundays 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM, 1:30 PM – 4:45 PM.
Basilica del Santo Niño Religious Shop
Located on the south wing of the Basilica, connecting the convent and the church is the Basilica Reliogious Shop. Religious articles are sold in this store as well as souvenir items and recuerdos of the Sto Niño.
The shop is open from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Mondays thru Saturdays.