A Miracle: Fr. Pio icon stuns Baclayon tourists By Sen Guingguing Whether it was a miracle or whatever, nobody can The Baclayon church, touted as the oldest stone tell, but one thing is certain, the reality of the church in the country, is one of the biggest tourist image of Fr. Pio, an Italian missionary who became attractions in the entire tourism package in Bohol. a saint, was visible in one of the pillars of the Big buses and other tourist cars are a daily sight in historic Baclayon Church. Baclayon with hordes of tourists marveling at the Even Msgr. Vicente Nunag III, Baclayon parish church heritage attractions like the stone church priest cannot make a categorical statement what itself, centuries‐old altar and the Baclayon kind of “divine force” that brought the image there museum, to name a few but of late tourists of different nationalities have With the image of Fr. Pio getting international been flocking to the old church to take pictures. attention, the more tourists are lured to visit the The situation of tourist taking pictures of the place especially devotees of the revered saint. image caught the attention of parish authorities. In one occasion last week, Chinese tourists were According to Betty Aya‐ay of the office of the seen clicking their cameras as a souvenir to the Baclayon Parish Council, it was since September sight of Fr. Pio carved in corral stone. last year when tour guides noticed the image. The discovery spread like wildfire and since then no The huge pillar where the image of the saint can be Baclayon church trip was never complete without seen is part of the mammoth structure made having the visitors taking a quick glimpse of the mostly of corral stone. miraculous sight. (Continued on the next page) Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Baclayon, Bohol 7 .