A CATHOLIC shrine, roughly defined, is a place of worship where people go on pilgrimage for a special devotion. The Catholic dictionary defines it as “a holy place. It may be a box-shaped repository in which relics of a saint are preserved.”
The local saint, San Pedro Calungsod, has a shrine located at the premises of the Archbishop’s Residence in Cebu, along D. Jakosalem St., Cebu City.
A book on this shrine states that “after the beatification of Pedro Calungsod in 2000, it became necessary to have a shrine, for the propagation of the devotion to this very first Visayan ‘Beato.’ And so, the Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, together with generous benefactors, embarked on the project. The shrine was designed by Prudence Salutillo with some ideas from Fr. Ildebrando Jesus Aliño Leyson.” The shrine dedicated to then Blessed Pedro Calungsod was consecrated on Dec. 11, 2002, some 10 years before Blessed Pedro was canonized saint on Oct. 12, 2012. (Fr. Leyson is the shrine’s first rector.)
The shrine today is under the stewardship of Fr. Allan Delima as its rector with Fr. Edgar Lumarda as administrator and Fr. Kyle Tabotabo as co-administrator. Fr. Delima explains that this shrine does not have a relic of San Pedro per se, but the “reliquary under the Altar enshrines a bronze box by Mamerto Pingol containing earth, corals and sand from the place of the martyrdom of Blessed Pedro in Tomhom, Guam. This is to continue the practice of the companion missionaries of Blessed Pedro and Blessed Diego (the Jesuit priest whom Blessed Pedro accompanied as his sacristan) who used to venerate the ground that was bathed in the blood of the two martyrs. There is no relic of Blessed Pedro since his body was thrown into the ocean. The bronze box, however, has a portion of the cassock of Blessed Diego and some bones of the martyrs Saint John Nepomucene and Saint Felicity.”
A pilgrim to this shrine will notice the huge medallion of San Pedro Calungsod in its facade. Carved by Seferino Zafra, it depicts San Pedro holding a catechism book and a palm branch, being borne by angels to his heavenly reward. To the left and right of the medallion are the coats of arms of the archdiocese of Cebu and of Agana. On top of the façade is the Holy Cross, to signify that the way of the Cross is the way to heaven.
The theme of the main altar is the Holy Trinity: God the Father represented by a hand, the Holy Spirit by a dove, and God the Son by the Tabernacle, which, incidentally, is closed during Holy Mass but is open the rest of the time for the faithful’s adoration.
There is great significance in every detail of this shrine of San Pedro; even the 17 eight-pointed stars that adorn the choir loft are meant to signify the 17 years of San Pedro’s life. In the choir loft is the Holy Cross, adored by two angels, which is taken down every Good Friday and the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The shrine is open every day from 7 a.m. till about 7:30 p.m. Like a regular church, there is a confessional here and confessions are heard after Mass—one only has to approach the presiding priest. Mass is celebrated every day at 6:30 p.m., preceded by the praying of the holy rosary, and on Fridays, also by the Via Crucis. Mass goers/pilgrims are expected to be in proper attire. Baptisms and weddings can also be held here: the shrine seats about 150 to 200 people and is perfect for small weddings.
Fr. Delima expresses the hope that more pilgrims will come to the shrine of San Pedro Calungsod which houses the official image of San Pedro (the one used for his canonization), that more people will get to know about this Visayan saint, and he hopes as well, that soon, a Pilgrims Center will be constructed, as envisioned by the Archbishop of Cebu, Archbishop Jose Palma.
(Quotes and details of the shrine are from the book The Cebu Archdiocesan Shrine of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, edited by Jesus Lamas Puangod.)