Marawi’s Catholics still endure war scars

MARAWI CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Nine years after the liberation of Marawi from the clutches of Islamic State-aligned militants, the minority Catholic community remains flourishing despite the destruction of their cathedral and Sunday Mass becoming less accessible.

Catholic devotees continue to worship wherever they can, holding on to the memories of the destroyed St. Mary’s Cathedral they once called home and hoping for a future in which their Christian community can become as vibrant as before.

Among them is Fransbert Tokong, 30, a former presiding officer of the Catholic Student Organization at the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel of Mindanao State University (MSU)-Marawi.

READ: Group: ‘No genuine liberation’ for Marawi as residents still displaced

“I miss attending Mass at Marawi Cathedral [since it was destroyed by war]. But my faith in God remains unshaken,” he said.

 For Tokong, the loss of St. Mary’s Cathedral represents more than the destruction of a building. It is the loss of a place where Catholics gathered to celebrate their faith, strengthen relationships and find a sense of belonging. 

The destruction of St. Mary’s Cathedral was among the painful consequences of the five-month Marawi siege, which began on May 23, 2017, following a military operation to capture Isnilon Hapilon, an Abu Sayyaf leader who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Before the siege, Catholic devotees at MSU-Marawi found creative ways to celebrate Mass despite limited facilities.

Diovelene Francisco, 29, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Biology student when the fighting erupted, recalled that Sunday Mass was either held at the gymnasium or the golf course, as the chapel would be too small for the flock.

Limited Mass

The fighting disrupted the routine that had brought their community together. Nearly a decade later, the ruined St. Mary’s Cathedral brings back painful memories.

“[But] I’m not only saddened by the situation of the Catholic community in Marawi,” she said. “I also feel sad and a bit disappointed that many Marawi residents have yet to return to their homes.”

Army Private First Class Mary Jean Navalta, who was assigned to Marawi in 2024, found a Catholic community adjusting to the scarcity of priests and places to celebrate Mass. 

A chapel inside the Army headquarters at Camp Ranao holds Mass only once a month, depending on a priest’s availability.

“This has become the new normal for us Catholics after the Marawi siege,” Navalta said.

Even without regular Mass, Catholics continue to nurture their faith through prayer, devotion and the preservation of religious images that carry memories of their former places of worship. 

New home 

With St. Mary’s Cathedral in ruins, the Prelature of Marawi has relocated to Maria Cristina in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, where construction of a new church and the bishop’s residence is underway with assistance from Aid to the Church in Need. 

Tokong noted the prelature’s mission is not simply to rebuild a place of worship but to offer a reconciling presence to their Muslim brothers and sisters.

The Catholic community’s devotion is also reflected in the journey of María Auxiliadora, or Mary Help of Christians, the patroness of the prelature. According to Tokong, the image was decapitated during the siege but was later restored by devotees.

Now being brought to dioceses across the Philippines, the image serves as a reminder of the Christian community’s endurance.

 The prelature is marking its 50th anniversary on Nov. 20, with the celebration set to take place at the new church in Maria Cristina, Balo-i. 

For Francisco, rebuilding St. Mary’s Cathedral in its former location in Marawi is a “complicated issue,” as many displaced Maranao residents have yet to return.

“If the cathedral is rebuilt while many of our Muslim brothers and sisters who once called the area home have yet to return, I still wouldn’t feel at ease,” she said.

Francisco said restoring the cathedral must be considered alongside restoring the lives of the people who once filled the surrounding neighborhoods.

Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees showed that 17,000 families—or about 70,000 to 80,000 individuals—have yet to return to Marawi. /cb