By Vanessa M. Puno
CEBU CITY—Pilgrims and devotees sang “Bato balani sa gugma [Magnet of love],” a line from a Cebuano hymn. They waved their hands in honor and worship to the Santo Niño and asked for mercy, as they prayed the rosary inside the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu.
Thousands of devotees also prayed the rosary during a solemn procession of the miraculous image of Santo Niño de Cebu. Devotees carrying images of the Child Jesus along major roads of Cebu City converged at the basilica on January 14 before the celebration of the Vespers Mass, presided by Archbishop John Du of Palo.
The image of Santo Niño that is being revered by thousands of devotees and pilgrims drew them to renew their faith. Showing their fervent devotion to God on the feast day of Santo Nino on January 15, devotees flocked to the basilica.
Devotees lined the streets of Magallanes to celebrate the Mass presided by Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu, with concelebrants Bishop Christian Noel and Bishop Antonio Palang, Fr. Andres Rivera Jr., the prior provincial of province of Santo Nino de Cebu-Philippines; Fr. Pacifico Nohara Jr., the rector of the basilica, and 60 religious and diocesan priests.
Archbishop Palma said in his Homily, “Let us stop competing against each other but rather appreciate each one as God’s children. Let us collaborate with each other so as to find progress and peace.”
Palma cited the Santo Niño as the faithful’s source of communion and holds all creation together.
Themed “Santo Nino: Source of Communion, Protector of Creation,” the feast of Santo Niño is about the care and stewardship of creation as described in Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si, and in observance of pastoral thrust of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines as Year of the Parish.
Colorful grand parade
The Sinulog grand parade in the morning of January 15 enthralled the 1.5 million Filipino and foreign devotees with street dancers from contingents from Cebu and other towns in colorful and intricately designed gowns and costumes.
The Sinanduloy Cultural Troupe of Tangub City won as champion of the Sinulog-based category of the grand parade, while the Lanao del Norte contingent bagged the top prize in Free Interpretation of Sinulog category.
Religious festivities
Thousands of devotees, holding their personal images of Santo Niño, eagerly waited and waved their hands to Santo Niño as they lined along streets of Mandaue City for the Traslacion—the transfer of the images of Señor Santo Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu to the Saint Joseph Shrine in Mandaue City on January 13 in a grand motorcade of devotees.
In the morning of Vespers Day, the reenactment of the first Mass, baptism and wedding in the Philippines was held at the Santo Niño Pilgrim Center.
History
The discovery of the wooden sacred image of the Santo Niño, or kaplag, by one of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi’s soldiers is the same image believed by historians to be the religious icon given by Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana of Cebu in her conversion and baptism in 1521. It is also the same image that hundreds of devotees give reverence to each day in the basilica.
The basilica, the home of the image of Santo Niño—the first religious relic in the Philippines that led to the Filipinos’ Christianity—became the “cradle of Philippine Christianity.”
In 1565 early Augustinian missionaries, who sowed the seed of Christian faith, led to the Christianity of the Philippine forefathers in Cebu. The presence of Augustinian friars in Cebu and in several places of our country continues to contribute in deepening the faith of the Filipinos.
Papal Legate Ildebrando Cardinal Antoniutti canonically crowned the Santo Niño icon in the Santo Niño Church, which Pope Paul VI in 1964 conferred the title “Basilica Minore”.
Image credits: Stephanie Tumampos
2 comments
delusional people…..
Pray pray to the BLOCK OF WOOD.
Fooling the Pinoys since 1521.
LOL!!!