Located in the City of Smiles is a church that is dedicated to the Our Lady of Peace or Queen of Peace, a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. The Our lady is best represented in art holding a dove and an olive branch which symbolize peace.

She is the patroness of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary religious order, founded by Peter Coudrin in Paris during the French Revolution. 

EDSA Shrine is also a parish dedicated for the Our Lady of Queen of Peace. It is said that the Queen of Peace miraculously interceded to oust the Marcos dictatorship in a bloodless and peaceful way which became known in the world as the People Power Revolution of 1986.

Back to Bacolod, the church dedicated to the Our Lady of Peace is located inside the St. John Institute campus (popularly known as Hua Ming). The 5, 000- sq.m. lot where the Queen of Peace church stands was donated by Alfredo Montelibano Sr. The church and the SJI campus are still referred by the locals as Hua Ming. Hua means “admirable,” “glorious” and ming for  “China.”

Designed by Architect Eduardo Uychiat, the Queen of Peace Church is like a flower on a bird’s eye view and a crown when seen on the ground. The church started its construction in 1964 and  was inaugurated by Bishop Yap in its completion in 1966. With a budget of P550, 000, it was deemed as the “most expensive construction venture in 1964.” Together with the St. John Institute, the church is located at the Capitol Shopping Center (the China-town of Bacolod City).

The Montelibano family is  the one who developed the 27-hectare Capitol Shopping Center. The family offered an easy term to the Chinese businessmen , so that they can start over again after a huge fire in 1955 burned down their business establishments.

Because of the fascinating architectural design of the Queen of Peace Church it became an architectural landmark in Negros Occidental. The church’s dome is filled with a circular stained glass window above the altar. Meanwhile the altar holds a wooden statue of the Queen of Peace which is a masterpiece by the country’s  most prominent wood-carver of religious icon, Mr. Maximo Vicente. The Queen of Peace Church is only the air-conditioned church in Bacolod City.

The church was designated by Bishop Antonio Fortich as the diocesan shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz in 1981. Then in 1989, it became a full-pledge parish. The beautiful “crown” design of the church makes it a prominent landmark in Bacolod City where devotees can enjoy the religious atmosphere.

How to get there:

By air

Bacolod City is is only 55 minutes from Manila, served by the country’s 3 major airlines: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines, with four round trip flights daily. From Cebu City, Bacolod is just 30 minutes away, with 3 round trips daily through Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

The New Bacolod-Silay Airport of International Standard is 20 minutes to and from the Bacolod downtown.

By sea

Bacolod is normally a 20-hour cruise from Manila aboard world-class vessels; 55 minutes from Iloilo on fast seacrafts.  The Banago and BREDCO ports are the vessels entry point.

By sea and land

The 18-hour travel time from Manila via land and sea transport is now possible through RORO (Roll On Roll Off) vessels traversing through the Strong Republic Nautical Highway using the ports of Iloilo, Caticlan in Aklan, Roxas in Mindoro and Batangas in the Province of Batangas.

You may refer here for the exact location of The Queen of Peace Church:

Accomodations Nearby

Hotels 

First Class

• L'Fisher Hotel - 4th Lacson Street, Bacolod City
• Hotel PAGCOR - Magsaysay Avenue, Bacolod City
• Luxur Place - Magsaysay Avenue, Bacolod City
• Eastview Hotel - Carlos Hilado Circumferential Road Corner
• Grand Regal Hotel - Araneta St., Singcang, Bacolod City

Economy

• Bascon Hotel -  Gonzaga  Locsin Streets, Bacolod City
• Check Inn Hotel - Ponce Building, Luzuriaga St, Bacolod City
• Northwest Inn - JB Corner, Rizal-Mabino Sts

Tourist Inns

• Bacolod King's Hotel - San Sebastian-Gatuslao Street
• Belle's Pension - 17th Lacson St., Bacolod City
• Casa Marabella - Ylac Avenue, Villamonte
• G&J Horizon - Locsin-Libertad, Bacolod City
• Pearl Manor - North Drive - Lacson St., Bacolod City
• Regency Plaza Inn - Lacson Extension, Bacolod City
• Traveller's Inn - BS Aquino Drive- Lacson St., Bacolod City