OUTPOURINGOF FAITH People from all walks of life fill the Basilica Minore del Santo Ni帽o de Cebu and its Pilgrim Center in downtown Cebu City during the first novenaMass in honor of the Holy Child Jesus on Thursday. 鈥擡MMANUELLE SAWIT
CEBU CITY 鈥� A sea of candles brightened a portion of Osme帽a Boulevard here as at least 200,000 devotees joined the foot procession before the crack of dawn on Thursday that signaled the start of an 11-day festivity leading to Cebu鈥檚 biggest festival in honor of the Holy Child Jesus.
Devotees, young and old, carried their own images of the Santo Ni帽o and lit candles as they prayed the holy rosary, and sang liturgical hymns during the two-kilometer procession called 鈥淲alk with Jesus.鈥�
搁贰础顿:听
The prayer walk, which started at the Fuente Osme帽a Circle at 4 a.m. ended at the Basilica Minore del Santo Ni帽o de Cebu in downtown Cebu City about an hour later.
The flower-decked carroza (carriage) that carried the image of Santo Ni帽o arrived at the basilica around 5 a.m. and was welcomed with shouts of 鈥淰iva Pit Se帽or!鈥� and 鈥淰iva Se帽or Santo Ni帽o!鈥�
The image was then carried to the altar and the first of the novena Masses in honor of the feast of the Holy Child Jesus started.
The Fiesta Se帽or is the religious celebration held every third Sunday of January in honor of the Santo Ni帽o or the Holy Child Jesus. Its cultural counterpart is the Sinulog Festival.
搁贰础顿:听Sto. Ni帽o de Cebu image visits hospitals, jails
The Walk with Jesus and the first novena Mass kicked off the 11-day festivity that would culminate on Jan. 21 with a Pontifical Mass at the basilica and the Sinulog Grand Parade at the South Road Properties.
People look forward to the Sinulog Grand Parade, one of Cebu鈥檚 biggest crowd drawers featuring dance rituals that tell a story of how the pagans鈥� conversion to Christianity helped their lives. Aside from the dancing contingents, puppeteers, floats and 鈥渉igantes鈥� (giant paper-mache puppets) also take part in the parade.
鈥楳agnet of love鈥�
In his homily during the novena Mass, Fr. Nelson Zerda, rector of the basilica, noted that all roads lead to the Basilica Minore del Santo Ni帽o de Cebu every January.
鈥淚 believe this has something to do with our endearment to the Santo Ni帽o,鈥� he added. 鈥淗ow wonderful it is to behold what we see. A large crowd of people walking together with Jesus.鈥�
The 3,500-capacity church courtyard was packed, with thousands more spilling into the streets outside of the basilica.
They watched the Eucharistic celebration through large LED screens and television monitors installed around the church complex.
The religious activities of the Sinulog Festival this year will focus on the theme, 鈥淪anto Ni帽o: Magnet of love in the synodal Church.鈥�
As part of tradition, the fiesta鈥檚 hermano and hermana mayores for 2024鈥攔enowned Sinulog dance choreographer and Santo Ni帽o devotees Val Sandiego and wife Ofelia鈥攚ere officially presented to the people during the Mass.
During the offertory, people waved their hands in the air in unison as they sang 鈥淏ato-Balani sa Gugma鈥� (Magnet of Love), an ancient hymn in honor of the Sto. Ni帽o.
At the end of the first novena Mass, Zerda carried the image of the Santo Ni帽o and led people in dancing the traditional one-step-forward, two-steps-backward Sinulog dance for about five minutes.
The image of the Santo Ni帽o was given as a baptismal gift by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Cebu鈥檚 Hara Humamay, who was later given the baptismal name, Queen Juana, in 1521.