Now on its 134th year
TACLOBAN CITY- Faithful from this city and the rest of Leyte province will once again pay their homage and piety to Senior Santo Niño as Tacloban marks its 134th fiesta celebration on Friday (June 30).
A Pontifical Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop John Du at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño, formerly the Santo Niño Church, at 9:30 am.
The miraculous centuries-old image of the Child Jesus, the patron of this city, is placed at the archdiocesan shrine’s retablo.
The archbishop, who was responsible for the elevation of the Santo Niño church into an archdiocesan shrine in 2021, will be joined by other prelates and priests across the region during the Pontifical Mass which is expected to last for over two hours.
Top officials of the city and the province like City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla are expected to attend the Holy Mass.
This year’s celebration is anchored on the theme ‘Pagimugso han Singbahan Isip Usa nga Sinodal ug Misyonero nga Katilingban’ (Towards a Missionary Synodal Church).
Aside from being the patron of Tacloban, the Santo Niño or the Child Jesus has also been declared as the ‘heavenly patron’ of the entire Leyte province by virtue of a decree issued on June 1, 1967 by then Palo bishop Teotimo Pacis.
When Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ (international name: Haiyan) pummeled the city and the rest of the region, the Santo Niño Church was among the structures that sustained major damages.
Through the help of the private sector and even funds from the Vatican, the church was restored, adding new extensions.
The Pontifical Mass will be followed by a fluvial procession which is to start at 1:30 pm with the image of the Santo Niño, among the few instances the image is being taken out from the archdiocesan shrine, on board of a vessel making its way around San Pedro Bay.
A land procession will follow at around 4 pm where devotees and faithful are to join the procession making their way to major streets of the city ending at the Santo Niño Archdiocesan shrine.
And by 6 pm, another mass will be held at the Santo Niño Archdiocesan shrine with Bishop Rex Ramirez of the diocese of Naval as the main celebrant.
JOEY A. GABIETA
