Life Reflections at St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary

Just north of the Davao City proper is the countryside district of Buhangin. In this district is found the St. Mary’s Church and a shrine—the St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary—built by the Catholic faithful in honor of the Virgin Mary.

The St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary is famous for its string of steps leading up to the St. Mary’s Church which has rich marble wall and floor tiles. The shrine and church sites are often venues for prayer vigils or where important religious announcements are made. It is the counterpart of Baguio City’s Grotto in Luzon where a flight of steps also ascends to the main Marian Shrine.

Masses are held in the church regularly and the St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary is regularly visited by tourists and the faithful alike. Devotees freely recite rosary creeds at the shrine site where the miraculous is said to initially take place. From the city proper it takes some 10 to 20 minutes via the Ma-a Diversion Road to get to St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary.

Roman Catholics, especially the women, are known in the country for their devotion to the statue of Virgin Mary, especially through praying the rosary beads. On special occasions, such prayers are done in front of shrines, as the St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary. At the hilly vicinity of Ma-a in Buhangin the shrine site is perfectly linked to the church above through a flight of steps which has become a tourist attraction.

As we ascend the steps we get scenic views of nearby rustic places still flourishing with foliage and trees. Buhangin District has many posh subdivisions around with a number of establishments on Diversion Road like Kutips Grill and Greenheights Business near St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary.

Also near along Buhangin Road are Metrobank, Galleon, and Patuk sa Manok. A lodge near St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary is Roadway Inn on J.P. Laurel. Beyond the river, also a bit near the shrine, are the GAP Farm along Diversion Road and Sunny Point Function Plaza on Ma-a Road.

Though some minutes away from the city proper, St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary is worth taking a peek at and including in our itinerary. The site gives visitors another aspect of Davao City life as well as time for reflection for Catholics or otherwise.

A stop at St. Mary of Perpetual Rosary allows us breath-taking sights from the hilly terrain and also a time to appreciate the goodness in life.