Sto. Niño visits Cebu City Medical Center

The image of the Sto. Nino arrives at the Cebu City Medical Center for a three-day visit. This is the last leg of the two hospital visits of the Holy Child.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Patients and employees of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) are given a chance to show their devotion and love to the Señor Sto. Niño as the image of the holy child makes a visit on Tuesday to the hospital.

This is the next hospital stop for the Señor Sto. Niño, who stayed for three days at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC). The image will also stay at the CCMC for three days and then return to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino.

A procession with the image in a glass case headed for CCMC on Tuesday from the VSMMC. The image of the Holy Child was welcomed by hundreds of CCMC employees, patients and their relatives.

A Mass was then celebrated at 2 p.m.

Nicole Abella, 21, a CCMC patient who gave birth last December 11, was one of those who welcomed the Sto. Niño at the hospital.

“Nanggawas gyud dayon mi pag-abot ni Sto. Niño. Moapil unta ko sa misa pero daghan man ug taw niya kailangan pa ko magbantay sa akong baby nga naa sa NICU,” Abella told Cebu Daily News.

(We hurriedly went out when the image of Sto. Niño arrived. I wanted to attend the Mass, but there were a lot of people and I had to go back to my baby who is at the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit].)

A few hours later, however, when most of the people had already left, Abella quietly approached the image of the Sto. Niño, displayed at the main building of the CCMC along N. Bacalso Ave., wiped the green shirt of her days-old baby girl on the glass case holding the image, and offered a silent prayer.

“Nalipay gyud ko nga niari si Sto. Niño kay para makapanalangin mi. Para maayo na akong anak. Mao ra gyud ang maduolan ug masampit, Ginoo lang gihapon ang atong duolan,” Abella said.

(I’m happy that Sto. Niño came here so that we can say our prayers. So that my baby will be healed. I can only approach the Lord now for help.)

Since her delivery last December 11, Abella said her baby has been under observation in the CCMC after both of them suffered from fever. Until now, her baby is still under observation.

The image of Sto. Niño will stay at the CCMC until December 21.

According to CCMC hospital administrator Kenneth Siasar, the image of Sto. Niño will be visiting the different wards of the hospital today and also tomorrow (December 21) morning.

A vigil was also held last night as well as tonight.

On December 21, there will be a Mass at the CCMC at 1 p.m. before the image will be brought back to the Basilica Minore del. Sto. Niño.

“We are glad that we are visited by Sto. Niño. This is the first time. Our patients don’t only need medicines. Medicines are useless if there is no intercession from Sto. Niño especially here in CCMC where patients are mostly in critical condition,” Siasar said.