SPECTACULAR RELIGIOUS CITY

SPECTACULAR RELIGIOUS CITY

Maasin City is a major religious pilgrimage hub in this part of the Visayas region.  Three major pilgrimage shrines are found in the city.  They are Montecueva Shrine, Our Lady of Assumption Shrine and Saint Francis Xavier Shrine.  Thousands of devotees all over the diocese and even all over Eastern Visayas Region and other parts of the country come to the shrines of Maasin to ask for blessings.

The Montecueva Shrine offers 550 plus steps if you ascent through the Stations of the Cross stations.  Your stamina is really tested in climbing the 172-meter-above-sea- level ascent to the chapel built inside the cave.  Thus it was called Montecueva or Cave in a Mountain.  It is officially called the Shrine of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.  

Those who had difficulty going up the stairs, a winding concrete ramp with less inclination takes you to the top, but with a longer route, with just more than 300 steps.  The Diocese of Maasin put together the different features of the shrine.  It was under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Garnet John Quirong.  

These include the statue of the Patroness Our Lady of Assumption overlooking the vast Camiguin Sea erected in 1992 by lot owner Atty. Joaquin Chung, the statue of the Pieta, a multi-purpose hall, a chapel for masses held outside the cave, a canteen, the Stations of the Cross, among others.  Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas grants indulgence to the pilgrims of Montecueva, with corresponding sacraments to take. 

It was said that Atty. Chung had a dream that the Patroness asked him to build a shrine.  He later turned it over to the diocese. 

The Our Lady of Assumption Shrine at Jalleca Hills is a 36-foot giant statue of Mama Mary. Construction started in 1994 and was inspired by its founder Mrs. Milagros Castro.  It was said that the Patroness appeared before her in a dream and told her to construct a shrine atop a mountain overlooking the coastal areas of Maasin.

The mountain in her dream was identified to be somewhere in Barangay Mantahan and the lot was owned by the Jarabe, Leyson, Llevares and Cadavos familes who donated the site for the shrine, thus the name Jalleca Hills.  The construction had the blessings and support of then Bishop Vicente Ataviado. 

It was my mother Engr. Esperanza Samaco, the first lady district engineer in Eastern Visayas, who helped Mrs. Castro in the initial stages of the planning and construction of the shrine.  It was former Councilor Salvador Abiera who supervised the construction and former Councilor Lupo Kirong who sculpted the giant statue of the Blessed Mother. 

According to Kirong, my former colleague in the Municipal Council, the erection of the 36-foot statue was a miracle in itself.  For he himself could not believe if the giant structure could be assembled successfully.  

The Our Lady of Assumption Shrine Association was organized in 1992 to raise funds and manage the affairs of the shrine.  A chapel was constructed later at the back of the statue and the Stations of the Cross along its 235 steps.  There is also a rectory and a prayer room at the back of the chapel. 

The chapel’s altar features the coronation of Mama Mary with the Blessed Trinity and the seven archangels.  The giant image of Christ the King is also built.  

Since the shrine was built, Maasin was never hit by a typhoon.  Unlike the previous years, when almost every year, typhoons would devastate the town, being situated in a typhoon belt.  There were several instances when PAG-ASA would forecast that a typhoon would pass by Maasin, but suddenly it would change course. 

From Jalleca Hills on the shrine, one can catch a good view of the whole city, the picturesque Maasin by the sea.  Both Marian shrines were flocked by pilgrims and devotees especially during Holy Week and Mama Mary’s Birthday every September 8.         

The third popular shrine in Maasin is the Saint Francis Xavier Shrine, locally known as San Francisco Javier or Dagkutanan, at Barangay Hanginan.  One can reach the chapel where the icon was housed by trekking the two-kilometer route from the highway at Barangay Isagani.  Or one can reach it through the road from Barangay Soro-soro by vehicle through the uphill access road until the junction.  Then the climb through the concrete stairs will now be shorter.  There are more than 300 of these steps leading to the village where the chapel is situated. 

The scenic mountain views greet every visitor.  You can also get a relaxing sight of the sea and the surrounding islands of Bohol, Limasawa and during very fair weather Camiguin.  The air is soothing amidst the heat of the sun, thus the place is called Hanginan.  

The miraculous icon was privately owned by a big family from the time of the Spanish Jesuits then handed over through generations.  Sometimes the icon would be brought to Isagani chapel along the highway.  But still people would climb to Hanginan for sacrifice. 

The saint is a favorite of soldiers and students.  Most of them are soldiers who are going to combat and students who are about to take the Board examinations.  Many testified that their prayers were answered by Saint Francis Xavier when they prayed in Hanginan.

During Good Fridays, the shrine is full of thousands of pilgrims.  It is the peak season for pilgrimage. Usually San Francisco followers would flock Hanginan on Fridays.  But today, everyday of the week, we see pilgrims climbing the steps to the chapel for blessings.  The feast of the saint is held every December 3.  Many devotees would offer food for other visitors during fiestas and Good Fridays.    

There was even a story that the icon was originally intended for San Francisco at Panaon Island in Southern Leyte and the image of San Isidro Labrador was aimed for Hanginan.  But fate had it that they were interchanged and the patron saint of San Francisco is now San Isidro, while the San Francisco Javier went to Hanginan.      

There are several eateries leading to the chapel. The most favorite food there is the native chicken soup which soothes your tiredness and replaces fluids lost by sweat.  The special delicacy sold is rice cake called bibingka.

The original image of the Our Lady of Assumption at the Maasin Cathedral is believed to be miraculous.  During Her fiesta every August 15 thousands of devotees would flock to the church to pay homage to the Blessed Mother.  

Stories of our great grandparents had it that a beautiful lady believed to be the Patroness would be standing by the sea when a typhoon hit Maasin. She was said to pacify the storm and the big waves.  
There was also a story of thieves trying to steal the icon of the Blessed Mother to be sold as an antique for a bigger price.  But they could not lift the sack where they placed the wooden statue because it became very heavy.  So they just left it behind the fence of the church just across Saint Joseph College.  When it was picked up to be returned back to its location in the cathedral, its weight became normal.  

Processions during Good Fridays are joined by tens of thousands of devotees.  There are several saint images or caro which were owned by religious families in Maasin.  Our own Abiera-Samaco-Narit clan had the San Pedro, Salome and Agony in the Garden images.  Other icons during the procession are San Juan Evangelista, Maria Magdalena, Veronica, Jesus Nazareno, Santo Intiero, and Dolorosa.