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Your Wish Will Come True: Simala Shrine – The Philippines

This isn’t a curious Japanese place, but it is a very enjoyable and sacred spot on Cebu Island. So I’ll write a report on my webpage.

This shrine is very famous to not only all of the residents of Cebu Island but also Filipinos because  of the miracle stories of Mama Maria. If you pray to the statue of Maria in the Simala Church, your wish will come true. There were so many offerings like crutches, wheelchairs, and letters in the glass showcases, which were all sent from those who wished to fulfill their hopes through Mama Maria. The formal name of the Simala Church is The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, however, people refer to this church as the Simala Church or the Simala Shrine with a sense of familiarity because the word “Simala” means “miracle” in Tagalog. This church was constructed in 1998 and is now under construction. It’s like a mini Sagrada Familia Church in Madrid, Spain, and its three-story architecture with several towers was awesome.

It is better to visit there on weekdays because you have to wait more than two hours in line to see Mama Maria on Sunday. I went there on Saturday and waited just one hour. Taking a photo of the statue is not prohibited, but I didn’t because it seemed imprudent. After praying, I bought a green candle as an offering.

Additionally, you can purchase various souvenirs in the church. Don’t miss the figure of St. Nino, because almost all taxi divers in Cebu have the shift knobs in which the figures were embedded!

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