NEWLY-INSTALLED Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy has ordered the suspension of masses and other parish activities in the northern towns of the province following the strong earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night.
In an advisory, the Archdiocese of Cebu said Uy directed all parishes to immediately undergo structural assessments of their churches and rectories before these can be used again.
‘To the parishes in the North that have been gravely affected, you are asked to refrain from using your churches for the celebration of the Holy Mass until the proper experts have carried out the assessment and declared the structures safe for use,’ the advisory said.
The directive came after the 6.9-magnitude earthquake left several heritage churches badly damaged.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, built in 1886, partially collapsed.
In a Facebook post, the shrine said the retablo image of Santa Rosa de Lima remain unscathed after it was ‘wrapped around some unused plastic bags.’ It noted that the image was one of the few icons that was not damaged by the earthquake.
Meanwhile, in Bantayan, portions of the outer facade of the Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol, which was completed in 1863, also gave way during the tremor.
The Cebu archdiocese urged the faithful to place their trust in God during this period of uncertainty.
‘We continue to pray to our Loving Father for calmness and strength in the midst of these trials. We entrust ourselves, our families, and our communities into His merciful hands. May the Lord shelter us under His wings, protect us from every harm, and guide us to safety and peace,’ it said.