Historic Cebu Cathedral Museum
Cebuanos' Leap of Faith

Cebu Cathedral Museum

Cebu Cathedral Museum

Ecclesiastical Cebu Cathedral Museum

The Cathedral Museum of Cebu is the ecclesiastical museum of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu City, Philippines, which was reopened in November 2006.

The museum focuses on regional church architecture and artifacts, which are mostly from the Spanish occupation period in the province.

Exhibitions & Galleries

A chapel inside the museum was transformed into an exhibition section for the "Carmen Collection" (from the parish of Carmen, Cebu) that displays the...

• tabernacle,
• gradas, and
• altar panels made of wood encased in etched silver.

For special exhibitions, the memorial chapel is frequently being utilized.

Galleries at Cebu Cathedral Museum

On the upper floors, the...

• First gallery: photographs & illustrations depicting Catholicism's growth in the island;


• Second gallery: memorabilia of Cardinal Ricardo Vidal - prayer books, notebooks, sample ballot used in the election of a pope, cardinal's ring, vestments used during his Episcopal ordination;


• Third gallery: shows how churches were built during the Spanish era, photographs, and actual building materials;


• Fourth gallery: exhibits a collection of statues of saints from different sources, including that of Saint Joseph at his deathbed;


• Fifth gallery: displays chalices, ciborium, priestly vestments, accoutrements of the liturgy of the Mass, and sacraments of the Catholic Church;


• Sixth gallery: sample priest's bedroom!

Historical Site & Building

The museum is located next to Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, and close to Basilica Minore del Santo Nino.

Amazingly, the building itself is a piece of the museum - 19th century structure! It is one of the few structures in metro Cebu that was spared from destruction of World War II.

It was built during the incumbency of Bishop Santos Gomez Maranon, early in the 19 century, who was a known church builder and responsible for the Oslob, Cebu, and Naga churches' construction, as well as the Argao bell tower and Sibonga convent.

A Convent, a university, a store, a chapel...

Before its present function, this museum has been extensively used extremely useful as...

• the first parish convent of the Cathedral,
• a school of the University of San Carlos,
• a cooperative store, and
• as a temporary chapel when the Cathedral underwent renovation.

Wow, that's a totally multipurpose and truly 'christian' building, I should commend!

Planning & Direction

In 2008, the patio fronting the lobby began to be renovated to accommodate a coffee shop and museum shop. And a garden...

The head curator of the museum is Brian Brigoli and under the direction of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, chaired by Carlito V. Pono.

Location and Getting there

You can find Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral Convent Museum at T. Burgos Street, Cebu. You can call up by dialing: Tel. Nos. 2328650/ 2328509.

Have a blissful visit to this holy place.

God bless, everyone!

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