Information about Our Lady of Atonement Metropolitan Cathedral

Our Lady of Atonement Metropolitan Cathedral

Our Lady of Atonement Metropolitan Cathedral, otherwise known as Baguio Cathedral, is a Catholic Church situated in Baguio City. What sets it apart from its kind is its twin steeples, rose-colored exterior, and traditional stained glass windows. The cathedral is amongst the most photographed iconic structures in the City of Pines and is the most visited landmark.

The building stands on top of Mount Mary Hill, providing its visitors with an overview of the famous Session Road and the city’s landscape. It can be accessible from the road through a long concrete stairway of over a hundred steps, but cars can also take the streets at the back of the Baguio Post Office building.

The Baguio Cathedral is the largest church in the city. Thus many religious activities are often held in this place. The church gets crowded during Holy Week, especially when devotees visit and seek blessings.

History

The site where the church now sits was a hill that was originally called as “Kampo” by the native Ibalois and was later named “Mount Mary” by Belgian missionaries from the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM). In 1907, the missionaries initiated a Catholic mission here.

Thirteen years after, the establishment of the cathedral began under the direction of the then parish priest, Fr. Florimonu Carlu. Twenty-five Igorot carpenters took part in the construction of the church together with CICM priests and brothers. The edifice was finished by 1936 and has been sanctified that year in dedication to Our Lady of Atonement.

During the time of World War II, the cathedral was used as an evacuation center for the Japanese. In 1945, carpet-bombing happened in Baguio City, which the church withstood. The remains of the many bombing victims during the Japanese occupation were buried within the premises of the church. In 1990, the structure was damaged by an earthquake and was then renovated.