Cheers, prayers of the sick greet 3-hour Sto. Niño motorcade

UNDER the drizzling rain, thousands of devotees waited by the roadside, waving their hands and holding balloons and flaglets, in a three-hour motorcade that brought the images of the Sto. Niño and the Virgn Mary to Mandaue City in the annual “traslacion” or ritual transfer.

Among them were sick but hopeful believers.

“Nalipay ko dinhi moagi ang traslacion. Hinaut pa unta mawagtang ang akong goiter. (I’m glad the traslacion passes by our house. I hope my goiter will be healed),” said 58-year-old Thelma Ocubillo whose family set up a small altar along Archbishop Reyes Avenue in Cebu City.

Polio victim Benjie Pacaldo, 34, sat on a wheelchair waiting for the images to arrive at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue city. He continues to pray that he and his wife will have a child.

“We’ve been married for six years.I’m afraid that no one will take care of me when I get old. But I won’t lose hope. The Sto. Niño will grant my petition in due time,” he said in Cebuano.
The religious images were carried out of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño at 7:15 a.m. to the cheers of “Pit Señor” and “Viva Birhen sa Guadalupe”.

They were escorted by about 80 motorcycle and bicycles as well as 30 vehicles down major city streets passing General Maxilom Avenue, Gorordo Avenue, Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Pope John Paul II Avenue, and MJ Cuenco Avenue in Cebu City.

At the border of the two cities in barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes were there for the turnover of the images.
Carillon bells pealed when the motorcade arrived at the National Shrine of St. Jospeh past 10 a.m. as students from Mandaue City Central School danced the Sinulog.

Msgr. Daniel Sanico, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and Mandaue City officials welcomed the images. Basilica rector Fr. Jonas Mejares, Mr. and Mrs. Jay and Elvina Roble who are the

Hermano and Hermana Mayores for this year’s fiesta, and Mayor Rama went inside the shrine.
Sanico, in his homily, said the traslacion, which means “to move across” in Spanish, is more than a ritual.

He said it “reminds us of Jesus’ journey from heaven to earth in order to save us.” In one’s own journey through life, said Sanico, people “will suffer along the way. But do not be afraid. Our hope is in the Sto. Niño.”

“The Fiesta Señor is not a picnic or a time for revelry. This is not a social activity wherein we can do whatever we want. The Fiesta Señor is our journey of faith,” he said.

People lined up inside the church to venerate the images left for an overnight vigil. After a dawn mass, it will be escorted to a private wharf and boarded on a yacht of the Ouano family for the annual fluvial procession through the Mactan Channel at 6 a.m. The icons will be brought back to the Basilica upon arrival at Pier 1 of Cebu City.

At 1 p.m., Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will carry the image to a carroza for the traditional solemn foot procession that will start at 1:30 pm.