People will line the streets today to greet a motorcade bringing images of the Sto. Niño and Virgin of Guadalupe from the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to Mandaue City.
The sacred images will stay overnight in the national Shrine of St. Joseph after a ritual transfer or “traslacion”.
The move will symbolically reunite the child Jesus and his mother with his father St. Joseph to complete the Holy Family.
No balloons and firecrackers are allowed along the Mandaue City route to avoid accidents.
Mandaue police warned that balloons will be confiscated. Last year, a balloon got snagged in a transformer of an electric post, causing an explosion and power outage.
To reduce crowd congestion, only Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and his wife Sarah, will meet the convoy at the boundary of Mandaue and Cebu cities in barangay Subangdaku. Other city officials are advised to wait at the church in Mandaue.
Vehicles joining the convoy from the Basilica must turn right at the Subangdaku flyover and go back to Cebu City to decongest the way toward the National Shrine of St. Joseph.
Security and church personnel will guide devotees who want to kiss the images after the 6:30 p.m. Mass so that the flow of people is orderly, said Mario Advincula, president of the Parish Pastoral Council.
The Opao Elementary School, which won second place in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan 2015, will offer their Sinulog dance during the activity.
Masses will be held at the Mandaue shrine at 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30pm on Friday.
Adoration of the images will be open for devotees until midnight.
The send off Mass for the images will be at 4 a.m. on Saturday. Msgr. Danny Sanico will preside.
A foot procession will follow to escort the images to the Ouano wharf, where the Sto. Niño’s “galleon” is docked.
The procession will pass Mandaue City Hall, the Mandaue City Central School, then right turn to Plaridel Street and turn to the wharf.
No traffic rerouting will be enforced.
Motorists passing along the procession route will just be asked to stop for 10 to 15 minutes until the people pass by. The procession is expected to be done by 5:30 a.m.
The fluvial procession will start at 6 a.m.
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