Monte Cueva Sanctum: Would You Hike to This Secret Mountain Shrine?
Monte Cueva is a church within a cave located in a top of a mountain with 540-steps.
Also known as the Shrine of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus and Our Lady of Assumption, this is a popular site especially during the Holy Week and on the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which falls on September 8. Pilgrims climb the more than 500 steps toward the Monte Cueva Shrine, which is accentuated with the 14 Stations of the Cross. The trail leads to a cave that was transformed into a chapel.
Set in the middle of a wooded area, along the slope of a mountain in Sitio Basak, Barangay Rizal, the setting and peaceful ambiance allows one to have a contemplative journey and experience a more personal connection with God. Devotees and believers climb Monte Cueva to seek mercy, guidance or favors from God as well as pay homage to Jesus Christ and the Lady of Assumption.
The Monte Cueva Shrine started out as a private site owned by Atty. Joaquin Jr. and Florencia "Loring" Chung who later donated it to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin.
Its origin began with the landowner Atty. Joaquin Chung Jr.’s dream about the Lady of Assumption’s request to build a shrine in that specific area. Since then, he built the shrine and passed the ownership and management to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin.