Gabriela Catadman would visit the Basilica every January to attend the fiesta mass in honor of the miraculous image of the Sr. Sto. Niño.
Catadman, a resident of Barangay San Vicente, Olango Island, said that her parents had taught her to be a devotee since she was a very young girl.
Now at 70, Catadman greeted the Sto. Niño’s image for the first time on Olango Island.
Catadman was among the around 100,000 devotees who greeted the Holy Child upon its arrival at the Olango wharf in Barangay Sta. Rosa. Others lined up the roads leading to the St. Augustine Church located in the same barangay, where the image will be staying for three days.
“I’m very happy that the Niño has visited us,” said Catadman who added her devotion to the Holy Child has been her source of hope during the difficult times in her life.
“One time, my son was accused of practicing illegal fishing activities and was about to go to jail. I just prayed to the Niño for the truth to come out. Later, my son was proven innocent of the crime,” she added.
Basilica Rector Fr. Jun Nohara said that Olango residents like Catadman are lucky to have been visited by the Sto. Niño image for the first time.
Fr. Melton Medida, the St. Augustine parish priest, requested for the visit to formally open their fiesta celebration this year.
The St. Augustine Parish will celebrate its annual feast from September 28 to 30.
“Residents of Olango (Island) are very blessed and privileged to have been given the chance to pray and kiss the image,” Nohara said.
First Visit
Lapu-lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza expressed her gratitude to Fr. Nohara for allowing the visit.
“We hope that this would become an annual activity,” she said.
The Sto. Niño image left the basilica at noontime on Sunday and was mounted at the back of a red pickup during a landtrip to the Hilton wharf in Barangay Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City where a barge was waiting to bring the image to the Olango Island wharf.
About a thousand personnel from the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and the Regional Public Safety Battalion in Central Visayas (RPSB-7) were deployed to secure the visit of the miraculous image.
Senior Supt. Lemuel Obon, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) director, said that security personnel on board 12 jet skis and six speed boats accompanied the image during a brief fluvial procession to Olango Island.
Security personnel were also tasked to make sure that around 50 pump boats which transported devotees will not come close to the barge to deter possible accidents.
Radaza said that aside from the visit, Olango Island residents were blessed to have been given good weather despite the warning of Pagasa weather specialists that big waves and strong winds may be experienced on the island located off mainland Mactan Island on Sunday.
Learn from St. Augustine
The image of the Sto. Niño left the Hilton wharf at 2 p.m. and arrived at the Olango wharf two hours later.
Devotees waiting at the Olango wharf walked with the image to the St. Augustine church that is located about a kilometer from the wharf.
Roads leading to the church were adorned with red and yellow bantings.
A mass was held at 4:30 p.m. before devotees where allowed to form a line to the altar to kiss the image.
Bishop Dennis Villarojo, who officiated the arrival mass, said during his homily that St. Augustine was a sinner before he became a saint.
Villarojo said that St. Augustine was involved in different vices especially womanizing.
But he gave up on his vices after he decided to accept God in his life, Villarojo added.