Bigger chapel built to house Mactan’s ‘wandering’ Niño
A glass and metal frame houses the Sto.Niño image at sitio Sea Breeze, Lapu-Lapu City. (CDN Photo/Lito Tecson)
THE family of the six-year-old boy who found the image of the Sto. Niño on the shores of Mactan received nearly P30,000 in donations from the people.
Charice Arellano, 25, said she intends to use the money to build a bigger chapel wider than the present structure where the image of the child Jesus is placed.
“Nindot man gyud kon naay kapilya dinhi sa among dapit. (It would be good for us to have a chapel in our place),” Arellano said.
She said the nearest house of worship they have is the Sto. Niño de Cebu Parish in Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City.
Custody
Arellano considered as a miracle the manner her two children and another kid found the image of the palaboy Sto. Niño (wandering child Jesus) last Jan. 24.
She said they will celebrate the feast of their wandering Sto. Niño starting next year, on the Friday after the feast of the child Jesus at the Basilica del Sto. Niño.
“Our Sto. Niño was found on the day the basilica was celebrating the ‘hubo.’ So I think we’ll just celebrate our fiesta when the basilica removes and changes the vestments of their Sto. Niño,” Arellano said.
In taking custody of the palaboy Sto. Niño, she’s hoping that the Lord will bless her and her family.
“May the Lord grant us grace and peace. May He spare us from danger,” Arellano said.
For the moment
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said in an interview last Thursday that Arellano’s family has the right to take possession of the image.
Palma said the Church is just interested to know if indeed the image of the wandering Sto. Niño spoke to the three children who found it.
“The parish priest of Mactan already went to the place and the children said it was not true that the Sto. Niño spoke to them. Let that be for the moment,” he said.
The image of the wandering Sto. Niño has been venerated inside a newly-built chapel a few meters from the coastline of Mactan.
A barangay councilman of Mactan built a chapel made of coconut lumber, with hollow blocks as foundation. The image was placed inside a glass case.
Currency notes, coins, biscuits, hamburger sandwiches, lollipops, and candles were placed as offerings before the image.
The Arellano family also used P6,000 from the donations to pay their neighbor whose house was demolished in order to give way for the construction of the chapel.
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