Sunday, January 21, 2024
Manila archdiocese asks Vatican to designate Third Sunday of January as nat’l feast of the Santo Nino
The head pastor of Tondo Church has disclosed a proposal to declare the Third Sunday of January of every year as the national feast of the Santo Niño.
Rev. Msgr. Geronimo F. Reyes, the church’s rector, said that the ball is now in the Vatican’s court after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines approved the Manila archdiocese’s proposal during their plenary assembly in July 2023.
In the same meeting, the bishops also approved the petition to elevate Tondo Church to national shrine status.
“It is our prayer that when we meet again next time, the Church will designate Jan. 9 as a national feast in honor of our beloved Santo Niño,” Reyes said.
The priest made the statement after the early morning Mass for the feast of the Santo Niño de Cebu, presided over by Cardinal Jose Advincula at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Jan. 21.
“We want it to be a national feast for the Church so it is up to the bishops and the Pope to discuss this,” he added in a separate interview.
The feast, initially a parochial celebration, has organically spread and is now celebrated by devotees across the country and even abroad.
Advincula, in a letter to the CBCP in May 2023, pointed out that in the absence of a specific national liturgical directive, the celebrations become dependent on the priests or the community.
“Making it a national feast will definitely bring order and most especially joy to the millions of devotees, particularly those who cannot go to Tondo,” the cardinal wrote.
This year’s celebration also marks the return of the traditional “Gawain” or annual weekend gathering after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his homily, Advincula encouraged the devotees to be ‘models’ of the life of Jesus Christ.
“A true devotee serves as a model, embodying the life of Jesus Christ. Through their life, one can witness faith in the Father and charity towards their neighbors,” he said.
Rain or shine, devotees' faith never wavered during Gawain
The sudden downpour and the heat that followed it failed to dampen the fervor of the members and fellowers of the El Shaddai DWXI Prayer Partners Foundation International as they wove around the route of the gawain in a sea of faith and devotion on Sunday, January 21.
A sudden downpour occurred at around 5:15 a.m., just a few minutes before the crowd started at the Quirino Grandstand at around 5 a.m.
Devotees said that no matter what the weather was, rain or shine or even a storm, would not stop them from expressing their faith to the Black Nazarene.
One of them, Mathilde, 70, has been a devotee for more than 30 years now.
She said she has been joining yearly the activities for the Black Nazarene to pray for a good and long life.
“Tatlong taon din natigil ang prusisyon, kaya ngayong bumalik na eh hindi hadlang ang ulan—rain or shine, ika nga. Bahala na basta magawa lang naming mamanata sa poong Nazareno (The procession was stopped for three years, so now that it's back, the rain would not deter us from continuing our devotion to the Black Nazarene),” she said.
Henry, a 61-year-old, and also a devotee for more than 30 years, said that no weather can stop them as the procession only happens once a year.
He also said that it was their way to show their sacrifices in return for the blessings that they had received.
Meanwhile, Nora, 56, said she and her grandson arrived from Nueva Ecija to attend and join the mass and healing rally at the Quirino Grandstand.
“Dalangin ko lang ay mawala na ang sakit ng apo ko, sakitin kase yung apo ko kaya itong biglaang pag-ulan hindi talaga problema kasi minsan lang naman sa isang taon na sakripisyo ang pagsama rito (I just pray that my grandson's sickness will go away, my grandson is so sickly, so this sudden rain is not a problem because being here and sacrificing like this happen only once a year),” she said.
Tito, 60, who came with his wife, said that being devotees for around 10 years now has changed their lives for the better.
“Malaki ang pagbabago simula ng maging deboto kami, hindi lang ang sarili ko (ang nabago), kundi pamumuhay namin… kaya hindi alintana itong pag-ulan, kahit nga bumagyo pa talagang pupunta kami rito dahil ‘yan ang panata namin (There have been a lot of changes since we became devotees, not only have I changed myself for the better, but our life... so regardless of the rain, even if there is a storm, we will come here because that is our devotion),” he said.
https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/9/rain-or-shine-devotees-join-traslacion-2024
Red Cross: Over 300 El Shaddai devotees sought medical help
By Ma. Teresa Montemayor
A total of 382 devotees participating in the Feast of the Santo Nino have sought medical help as of 11 a.m.Sunday.
In its latest update, the Philippine Red Cross said it responded to 155 patients for vital signs, 135 for minor injuries and five for major injuries.
The minor cases included abrasion, puncture, laceration, dizziness, burn, avulsion, and abdominal pain.
Meanwhile, the major cases included head trauma (swelling), laceration, incision, and fainting.
About 16 patients were transported to the PRC Emergency Field Hospital while five were sent to the Philippine General Hospital.
Patients who were transported to the PRC Emergency Field Hospital suffered from fever, cough, dizziness, body weakness, vomiting, ankle sprain, chest pain, and numbness.
A pregnant patient who experienced abdominal pain was transported to a medical facility.
Six patients received welfare assistance or psychosocial first aid and 60 received hot meals.
The PRC deployed 10 first aid stations, eight welfare desks, one emergency field hospital, 13 ambulances, one fire truck, one food truck, one rescue boat and 319 volunteers.
Devotees gather at Quirino Grandstand on eve of the Santo Nino's feast day
(UPDATED) -- Thousands of devotees of the Black Nazarene flocked to the Quirino Grandstand Monday night, as the eve of the Feast of Santo Nino unfolds.
It is here where the traditional weekly Family Appointment with El Shaddai on the weekend feast of Santo Nino.
The Manila Police District monitored a crowd of about 3,000 by around 6:00 p.m., with a total of 53,810 since the Pagpupugay commenced on January 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Devotees from various parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces have gathered here, with some planning to stay overnight for the vigil.
Devotees spent nearly five hours in line for a chance to touch the sacred image, and shared experiences on their dedication to the Nazareno.
The gathering reflects the diverse and devoted following of the Black Nazarene, with each devotee carrying their personal stories of miraculous events with the revered image.
Eleanor Avendaño came with her 34-year old replica. According to her, the image helped heal her husband of bone cancer even for a brief time. She was emotional when she told the story.
"Sabi ko sa kanya sa Nazareno kung ibibigay nyo ang aking asawa, hwag nyo na siya pahirapan. Pero kung kukunin nya na, kunin nya na. Pero after that sabi ng doctor is miracle na lang. Pero thank God, nabuhay po siya," she said.
Imelinda Javier, meanwhile, recalled how her 18-year old Black Nazarene saved her from an accident.
"Itong aking kauna-unahan nadisgrasya na kami mag asawa sa Lagusnilad. Umano motor namin pero awa ng Diyos nakatayo pa rin kami," she said.
A mass at 7 PM marked the beginning of the vigil, with the ABS-CBN Foundation Lingkod Kapamilya providing assistance and distributing food to the devotees.
At 4:30 a.m. of Sunday a Misa Mayor will be presided over by His Eminence Jose Cardinal Advincula Jr., followed by the continuation of the program with a morning mass presided by participating bishops followed by the January 1 to 31 birthday, sacerdotal anniversary and wedding anniversary celebrants thank offering salo-salo, the helicopter dropping of miracle vision souvenirs with Christmas carols by the El Shaddai Gospel Music Ministry, motorcade of images of saints and the Closing Mass of the 39th World Youth Day presided by Pope Francis.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/08/24/devotees-gather-at-quirino-grandstand-on-eve-of-traslacion