Simala Shrine
{{Short description|Roman Catholic church in Cebu, Philippines}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Simala Shrine
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| image = Monastery of the Holy Eucharist Simala (Sibonga, Cebu; 01-18-2023).jpg
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| caption = The shrine in 2023
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| coordinates = {{coord|9|58|45.1|N|123|35|59.7|E|region:PH_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}}
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| religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic
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| province = Cebu
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| country = Philippines
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| functional_status = Catholic pilgrimage site
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| patron = Mary, Mother of Jesus (as Our Lady of Lindogon)
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| founded_by = Marian Monks of Eucharistic Adoration (MMEA)
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| established = 1998
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The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, also known as the Our Lady of Lindogon Shrine and commonly known as the Simala Shrine or the Simala Parish Church is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Sibonga, Cebu, Philippines.{{cite news |title=Video production group from Cebu captures stunning aerial night shots of Simala Shrine |url=https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/256886/video-production-group-from-cebu-captures-stunning-aerial-night-shots-of-simala-shrine |work=Cebu Daily News |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=9 September 2019 |access-date=28 September 2021}}{{cite news |last=Ruaya |first=Rhobie Alburo |title=Mama Mary Churches and Shrines in Cebu |url=https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/399030/mama-mary-churches-and-shrines-in-cebu |work=Cebu Daily News |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=8 September 2021 |access-date=28 September 2021}}
History
Simala Shrine was built in 1998 by the Marian Monks of Eucharistic Adoration from Pampanga.{{cite news |last=Quieta |first=Racquel |title=This castle church in Cebu looks straight out of a fairy tale |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/celebritylife/travel/70934/this-castle-church-in-cebu-looks-straight-out-of-a-fairy-tale/story |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=GMA News}}
Cultural significance
File:Monastery of the Holy Eucharist Simala inside (Sibonga, Cebu; 01-18-2023).jpg
The Simala Shrine is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site. The site hosts the image of Our Lady of Lindogon, which is believed to be miraculous by devotees of the Virgin Mary; subsequent to its reported shedding of tears, it was credited with the healing of those who were afflicted with dengue in the area in 1998. The image has since that time reportedly shed tears on four more occasions, the latest being on September 8, 2016.{{cite news |last=Lopez |first=Herty B. |title=Virgin image in Simala 'sheds tears' again |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/97499/Business/Virgin-image-in-Simala-sheds-tears-again |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=SunStar |date=11 September 2016}}
The image, originally assigned as that of Our Lady of Fatima, was donated to the Marian Monks by Terry Brooks from Pampanga. The construction of the Simala Shrine is also believed to be the realization of a prediction by Ingko Niyong Villamor that the hills of Lindogon, the current site of the shrine, would become "holy" once a "miraculous white lady reign in the place".
References
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