CCMC visit: Despite rains, faithful give Sto. Niño a warm welcome

The image of the Sto. Nino is brought to the chapel of the Cebu City Medical Center where it will stay for one day. (Photo by Morexette Marie B. Erram)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The incessant rains did not stop the at least a hundred Cebuano faithful, especially the visitors and staff of the (CCMC), from greeting and welcoming the image of the Holy Child as it arrived for his hospital visit.

The image of the Señor Sto. Niño is now inside the hospital’s chapel to give the patients, medical and administrative staff the chance to pay homage to the Child Jesus.

Some of them, including Fe Jaron, did not mind getting inconvenienced by the downpour.

Jaron, a member of the staff of the CCMC for six years, said news that the image of the Holy Child would be visiting the hospital made her excited.

She clung to her umbrella, and her own small replica of the Sto. Niño, as she joined several others during the procession of the Sto. Niño within the old CCMC compound.

“Everytime there’s a procession of the Sto. Niño, I would always bring my own image with me,” Jaron said in Cebuano.

This is the second time the Holy Child visited CCMC in line with the Fiesta Señor celebrations.

Jaron said the Sto. Niño’s presence inside the hospital had uplifted the spirit of everyone around it, especially the patients.

“It’s heartwarming to see patients smiling as they are given the chance to pray in front of the Sto. Niño,” she added. 

The image of the Holy Child arrived in CCMC, through a caravan, past 1 p.m. today, Friday (January 4).

Fr. Pacifico Nohara Jr., rector of Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, said there would also be a “mini-caravan” of the Sto. Niño inside the hospital.

For bed-ridden patients, Nohara said the image would also visit all the wards inside CCMC before it would depart tomorrow noon for Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), its second stop of the weeklong caravan./dbs