HOSPITAL VISIT. The image of the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu on display at the chapel inside the Cebu City Medical Center for an overnight vigil on Friday by the hospital staff and patients, before it will be transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in the uptown area in Cebu City on Saturday, (January 5, 2019). (Photo courtesy of the Facebook page of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño/Analyn Conocono, USJ-R Communication Intern)
CEBU CITY -- The rain has no effect on the Augustinian friars and devotees of the Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu as they brought on Friday the pilgrim image of the Holy Child to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) in Natalio Bacalso Avenue in this city.
The visit of the holy image at the CCMC is the first part of the preliminary activities leading to the nine-day novena masses up to the 454th Fiesta Señor celebration at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu on January 20.
Hospital staff and the patients, some in tears and some soaked in rainwater, welcomed the holy image waving their hands. Augustinian friar, Father Pacifico Nohara Jr., the rector of the Basilica, celebrated the Holy Mass at the CCMC.
This year is the second time that the holy image visits CCMC and will stay for a night vigil by the hospital staff and patients, Father Nohara said.
On Saturday, the holy image will be brought to the regional hospital, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), in the uptown area in this city.
After VSMMC, the image will be brought to the Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital this January 6 and Chong Hua Hospital on January 7.
Fr. Nohara said the preliminary activities will culminate with a visit of the holy image to the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan in this city on January 8.
From the city jail, the holy image will be brought to the Guadalupe Parish Church in Barangay Guadalupe on January 9 for an overnight vigil.
By 3 a.m. on January 10, the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu image will be taken to Guadalupe Parish Church to Fuente Osmeña rotunda in preparation of the “Walk with Jesus” penitential foot procession from the rotunda passing by Osmeña Boulevard to the Basilica.
After the arrival of the image at the Basilica, Fr. Nohara will celebrate the first novena mass at the Basilica’s Pilgrim Center, open-air, theater-like structure that can accommodate 3,500 devotees.
On the ninth novena day on January 18, the devotees will gather again at the Fuente Osmeña rotunda 3 a.m. for the another penitential foot procession, this time to be called as “Walk with Mary” as the image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe will be brought to the Basilica.
After the 5:30 a.m. novena mass by Fr. Manuel Tan, both the image of Mary and the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu will be brought to the National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish in Mandaue City, 7 kilometers from the Basilica, in an annual rites known by the devotees as “Traslacion.”
On Jan. 19, after the holy mass and send-off rites, the holy images will be brought to the National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Regla Parish in Lapu-Lapu City, some 4.6 kilometers from the National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish in Centro, Mandaue City.
From the Nuestra Señora de Regla Parish, the holy images will be brought to the Muelle Osmeña docking area and will be placed in a Galleon for the fluvial procession.
The fluvial procession will end at the Pier 1 where the holy images will be unmounted from the Galleon and will be processioned to the Basilica.
After the arrival of the holy images at the Basilica, Fr. Nohara will preside the reenactment of the first mass, wedding and baptism, depicting Cebu’s chieftain Humabon and wife Juana’s acceptance of Christianity in 1521.
On Jan. 19, thousands of devotees will join in a yearly solemn procession of the image of Sto. Niño de Cebu. The friars announced this year’s procession will take a “reversed” route.
By 6 p.m. of the same day, Bishop John Du, the bishop of the Diocese of Palo, Leyte, will preside the pontifical mass at the Pilgrim Center. The mass will be followed by a religious ritual, dance-prayer dubbed as “Sinulog Pit Senyor.”
The religious community headed by Msgr. Frederick Kriekenbeek will hold a “mañanita mass” at 4 p.m. of the fiesta day on Jan. 20, which shall be followed by a pontifical mass to be led by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.
Meanwhile, the Augustinian friars on Friday said they will collaborate with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the City Government of Cebu in securing the 454th Fiesta Señor celebration.
PRO-7 Director, Police Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas will deploy hundreds of both uniformed and civilian-clad policemen, while the Central Command headed by Lieutenant General Noel Clement will also deploy regular and reservist soldiers in different areas in Cebu City during the nine-day novena up to the Fiesta Señor celebration on Jan. 20. (PNA)
