“VIVA PIT SEÑOR!” “VIVA SEÑOR SANTO NIÑO!”
Children dressed like the Santa Nino at the final Sinulog celebrations
WRITTEN BY
Brigid Conroy
READ TIME
2 mins
Jubilant cheers of praise fill the air each year as faithful gather to conclude the annual novena to the Holy Child Jesus.
You may be wondering what this devotion is all about. Thanks to the representatives from the Hamilton Sto Niño working committee (Mel Libre and Dexter Soon, both born in Cebu, Philippines, and Ruth Bailey) who kindly shared what happened locally and where this devotion originated.
What is the Sto Niño (Santa Niño) novena?
The Sto Niño/Santo Niño novena is the practice of praying to the Holy Child leading to the feast day on the 3rd Sunday of January (The Hamilton Sto Nino devotees observe this on the first Saturday of January).
Why do people come together to pray the Novena?
Devotees seek help from the Holy Child and express their thanksgiving for blessings granted to them.
Rev Alfonso Dujali bringing in the statue of the Santa Nino.
What happens at the Novena? How many people participate?
Each evening begins with the Novena, followed by the Mass, in Hamilton a different priest each evening was invited to be the main celebrant. After the recessional hymn, devotional dance is offered and food is shared. This year about 100 people came together each day to pray the novena in Hamilton at St Matthew’s, Silverdale, Hamilton.
To culminate the novena, on January 16th, we celebrated with Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with Fr Fernando Alombro, Filipino chaplain as celebrant. After the mass, a procession followed from the church to the Gerry Sullivan Events Centre for a fiesta full of food sharing, dancing of the Sinulog (the devotional dance to the Sto Nino) and other cultural dances. Attendees numbered between 300-400 people.
Also part of the celebrations, many children dress up in the Sto Nino attire, much to the joy of their parents and other attendees.
Where did the devotion originate?
Rev Fernando Alombro, Filipino Chaplain
