Archdiocesan Shrine of San Nicolas de Tolentino, also called San Nicolas Church, is a Roman Catholic church that is located in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Under the advocation of St. Nicolas of Tolentino, it is one of the oldest parishes in the country.
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History
The history of San Nicolas Church goes back to the beginning of the Spanish colonization. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founded a settlement in Cebu called Villa de San Miguel in 1565.
In 1571, he renamed it Villa Santisimo Nombre de Jesus. A boundary was drawn to separate this enclave exclusive for the Spaniards from the territory belonging to Filipino residents, which was thus called Cebu El Viejo.
Friars of the Order of St. Augustine founded the parish of San Nicolas in Cebu El Viejo on May 16, 1584. Its jurisdiction was huge, spanning northward until the limits of Bantayan Parish and the rest of the south until the parish of Sialo in Carcar was established in 1599. It was the mother parish of various churches which became parishes in later years.
Construction of a stone church was recorded to have started in 1787 and finished in 1804. The bell tower was added in 1812, parochial house in 1825, and a clock installed in 1850. The church was damaged by a storm in 1915 and an earthquake in 1922.
During the Second World War, it was utilized as a fortress by the Japanese colonizers and left in ruins by US aerial bombings in the aftermath of the war.
A temporary house of worship was built in the post-war period. The church that exists today was constructed through the efforts of Knights of Columbus, designed by architect Paulo Beltran, and completed during the term (1942-1965) of Fr. Venerando Reynes.
Artifacts and human remains were discovered during excavations for a construction of the Center for the Poor in the church’s grounds in 2021.
Finding of Sto. Niño
An oral tradition stated that San Nicolas Church is the site the icon of Sto. Niño was found by Spanish sailor Juan Camus in 1565, a claim that is disputed by scholars.
Anthropologist Dr. Astrid Sala-Boza concluded in a study about the matter that “historical, legal, archeological and geographic evidence” affirmed Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño was the location that the image of the Holy Infant was discovered.
Procession of Sto. Niño de Cebu
A procession is held every annual feast of Sto. Niño de Cebu in January. Before the historic image of the Holy Infant enshrined in Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is brought out, San Nicolas Church’s Sto. Niño is admitted in the Basilica.
Such tradition is said to be old and traces back to an observance in Spanish military. Sto. Niño de San Nicolas was granted a ranking as a second-in-command officer who stands in guard while Sto. Niño de Cebu, granted the highest military rank, is out of the Basilica for the duration of the procession.
Architecture
San Nicolas Church’s courtyard has a paved footpath flanked by small garden patches. A portico made up of a series of gables and piers aligns with the entire width of the church and is punctuated by a more elevated and wider gable that guides the flock to the main entrance. The facade rises to a central section comprising of a huge cross on recessed arched stained glass panes, and it is flanked by one-story side aisles. The church also features a mosaic by Fidel Araneta made from tiles purchased from Italy. The lean, minimalist bell tower is erected in the gospel side.
Celebration
The feast of St. Nicolas of Tolentino is held every September 10th. Barangay San Nicolas celebrates Kaplag Buwad Festival or alternatively Kaplag Festival every April.
Services
Baptism is at 10:30 morning mass every Sunday.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Archdiocesan Shrine of San Nicolas de Tolentino in Cebu City from November 25, 2024 to December 1, 2024. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Cebu City.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 12:15-1:15 PM (Cebuano)
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Cebuano - FB Live)
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 12:15-1:15 PM (Cebuano)
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Cebuano - FB Live)
Wednesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 12:15-1:15 PM (Cebuano)
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Cebuano - FB Live)
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 12:15-1:15 PM (Cebuano)
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Cebuano - FB Live)
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 12:15-1:15 PM (Cebuano)
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Cebuano - FB Live)
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Cebuano - Anticipated Mass - FB Live)
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano - FB Live)
- 7:30-8:30 AM (Cebuano)
- 9:00-10:00 AM (English)
- 10:30-11:30 AM (Cebuano - FB Live)
- 3:00-4:00 PM (Cebuano)
- 5:30-6:30 (Cebuano - FB Live)
- 7:00-8:00 PM (Cebuano)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Archdiocesan Shrine of San Nicolas de Tolentino in Cebu City |
| Address | Tupas St., Cebu City, 6000 Cebu |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (032) 261 0848 |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | May 16, 1584 |
| Age | 440 years |
| Status | Archdiocesan Shrine |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| District | District II - Metro Cebu South |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of Sto. Niño |
| Patron | St. Nicolas of Tolentino |
| Feast day | September 10 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Paulo Beltran |
Nearby Churches
- Archdiocesan Shrine of Blessed Pedro Calungsod in Cebu City
- Archdiocesan Shrine of San Roque in Cebu City
- Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Arnold Janssen in Cebu City
- Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod in Cebu City
- Holy Cross Parish Church in Basak, Cebu City
- Mary Help of Christians Church in Cebu City
- Our Lady of Consolation Church in Talisay, Cebu
- San Lorenzo Parish Church in Cebu City
- Sto. Niño Church in Pasil, Cebu City
- Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Pardo, Cebu City
- Virgen de los Remedios Church in Labangon, Cebu City
References
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu. Retrieved July 4, 2022
- Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu. Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Inc. and University of San Carlos Press. 2010. ISBN 978-9715390187.
- Elizaga, Troy. The Formation of Towns and Parishes in Cebu, Philippines. Retrieved via Academia on July 4, 2022
- Sala-Boza, Astrid (September 2006). The Contested Site of the Finding of the Holy Child: Villa San Miguel or San Nicolas (Cebu El Viejo)? Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. Vol. 34, No. 3, Special Issue: Santo Niño de Cebu Ethnohistorical Studies, pp. 224-252 (30 pages). University of San Carlos Publications. Retrieved June 13, 2022
- Relics from past found in bldg. site beside church. Sunstar. May 13, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2022
- San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish. The Freeman. May 24, 2015. Retrieved via PressReader on July 5, 2022
- Miasco, May B (April 25, 2015). Actual site of Niño’s finding under debate. The Freeman. Retrieved via PressReader on July 5, 2022
- Oaminal, Clarence Paul (August 26, 2016). The pre-Martial Law priests in Cebu. The Freeman. Retrieved via PressReader on July 5, 2022
- Why is the Sto. Niño image of San Nicholas Church brought to Basilica every fiesta. Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu. September 12, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2022
- Jabil, Daryl Niño T. (April 26, 2014). San Nicolas marks 7th Kaplag Festival. Sunstar. Retrieved July 5, 2022
- Molijon, Lexxa Jane (April 27, 2012). Kaplag Buwad Festival set this Saturday. The Freeman. Retrieved July 5, 2022
- Bronce, Quennie S. (January 17, 2013). Sto. Niño de Cebu: El Capitan General. The Freeman. Retrieved July 5, 2022
- Lachica, Immae (February 9, 2020). Why San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish’s Santo Nino is the Teniente de la Guardia. Cebu Daily News. Retrieved July 5, 2022
- Gabii sa Kabilin Guide: Forging Peoples. Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. May 27, 2016. Retrieved via Issuu on July 8, 2022