Weekly Contest. "Photographing Cathedral Church Week #1" | Blessed Virgin Mary of Simala Shrine, Cebu, Philippines

Mama Mary's Shrine, popularly known in the Philippines as "Birhen sa Simala Church," is a well-known Catholic shrine. The place is Simala, Cebu. People from all around the world, including the Philippines, will gather to pay their respects to the miraculous Mama Mary and light "dagkot" candles to express gratitude and make requests. Simala's Birhen is affectionately known as Mama Mary's Groto, or "halok," and is known for her miracles and the sheading of tears.

According to some, Lindogon Hills was once merely a plain mountain range and a typical rural area. And the monks there act as medics to the locals or residents. Until one of the oldest residents, "Manoy," said that he had seen Mama Mary in his dreams. "Manoy foretells that the "Birhen sa Simala" Church would be built in that region of the Lindogon hills soon. Birhen sa Simala was built in the same region of the hills as "Manoy" fortell only a few years later.