Troubled children pray, seek Sto. Niño’s help

Fr. Pacifico “Jun” Nohara Jr. celebrates Mass at the Operation Second Chance facility in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City. The activity was part of the Cebu City jail visit of the image of the Sto. Nino, which is also part of the activities of the Fiesta Señor. (CDN PHOTO/NESTLE SEMILLA).

Hoping to be given a second chance at a better life, most of the children in conflict with the law, who are detained at the Cebu City Operation Second Chance in Barangay Kalunasan prayed to Sto. Niño for a better life.

They got the chance yesterday to pray before the image of the Sto. Niño from the basilica, that visited Cebu City Jail as part of the Fiesta Señor activities, including the Cebu City Operation Second Chance facility.

Maria, said that she asked Sto. Niño for guidance and strength which she needs while living inside the correctional facility.

“Unta tabangan sad mi maluwas dinhi dapita. Dili lalim nga naa dinhi kay naa dinhi ang kaguol, kahadlok, kamingaw o tanan kasakit (We hope Sto. Niño will save us here. It is not easy to be here because all the misery, fear, longing and pain are present here),” she said.

Maria was detained at the facility when she was still about to turn 16 years old. That time also she was pregnant with her child.

She personally wished to the Sto. Niño that this year she would be able to go out of the facility and hoped to spend her time working and taking good care of her child who is now one year old.

“Amo g’yud giampo ni Señor Sto. Niño na mauban na unta namo pagbalik among tagsa-tagsa ka pamilya, especially sa akong anak, ug maluwas ang tagsa-tagsa namong kaso (We prayed to Señor Sto. Nino that we can spend time again with each of our families, especially to my child, and that we can be saved from each of the cases we are facing),” she said.

There were 214 detainees at Operation Second Chance, who were happy to have been visited by the image of the Child Jesus yesterday.

“Dako kaayo among kalipay nga niari g’yud si Señor Sto. Niño. Swerte kaayo mi gibisita mi niya kay talagsaon ra pud ni siya nga chance. Kay adto sad sa gawas daghan man gani mayatakan o masakit makahalok ug makahikap lang niya (We are so happy that Señor Sto Niño is here. We are lucky the image visited us because it’s a once in a lifetime chance for us),” Maria said.

Fr. Pacifico “Jun” Nohara Jr., the rector of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu, said that the sacred icon would stay overnight at the male dormitory.

“We brought the Sto. Niño to prisoners to give a spiritual dimension as they try to change their lives,” said Nohara, who celebrated the welcome Mass at the Cebu City Operation Second Chance.

Nohara said that he hoped it would have a big effect on the inmates specially since the Sto. Niño is the reason why Cebuanos became Christians.

The image of the Señor Sto. Niño was also brought to the Cebu City Jail female dormitory where it stayed for three hours and then to the male dormitory where it would stay for the night.

After in Second Chance the image was also brought to Cebu City Jail female dormitory where it also stayed for three hours then it was brought to male dormitory and stayed there overnight.