The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located in Zamboanga City on the island of Mindanao, is considered one of the largest modern cathedrals in Asia.
The first Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, built of wood on a concrete foundation, once stood near Pershing Square at the very spot where Zamboanga University stands today. Above its main altar was an image of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, and on either side of it one could see images of two saints - Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Javier. In 1943, during World War II, the cathedral was bombed by the Japanese air force and was destroyed.
A new wooden cathedral building was built in 1956 next to the University of Ateneo de Zamboanga. The site used to be the site of a chapel known as the Jardin de Chino. On the left side of the façade was placed the sculpture of the Immaculate Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception full-length sculpture, while the bell tower rose on the right. In 1998 the cathedral building was demolished as it was severely damaged by termites.
The current cathedral building in the shape of a cross was built from 1998 to 2001. Inside you can see the marble statue of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, by Filipino national artist Napoleon Abueva. Along the side aisles are stained-glass symbolic representations of all the bishops of Mindanao from 1910 to 1984. The chapel on the ground floor is used for weekday masses. In front of it, one can see the baptistery with the relics of the Blessed Virgin of Pillar, patroness of the city. And behind the baptistery is a columbarium with a copy of the Pieta a copy of Michelangelo's Pieta and a picture of the 12 apostles.
