Tondo revels in Sto. Niño feast
The church emphasizes to the faithful the importance of embodying childlike virtues, as reminded by the image of Sto. Niño
Daily TribuneThe church emphasizes to the faithful the importance of embodying childlike virtues, as reminded by the image of Sto. Niño
Photograph by Yummie Dingding for the Daily Tribune @tribunephl_yumi Images of the Holy Child are being sold at Tondo Church in Tondo, Manila on Sunday as celebrations for the Feast of Sto. Niño in the country commences.
YUMMIEDINGDING
A festive mood was in the atmosphere as devotees and residents in Tondo, Manila celebrate the Feast of Sto. Niño on Sunday, with endless chants of “Viva Sto. Niño” echoing through the streets as devotees warmly welcomed the image of the Child Jesus.
Inside a glass case, the image of the Sto. Niño, revered as the King of Tondo, was paraded through various parts of Tondo and alongside the original image, hundreds of replicas, carried by devotees, joined the procession.
Throughout the day, different devotee tribes conduct their processions, carefully carrying replicas of their revered Sto. Niño.
The church is filled all day, with hourly blessings of hundreds of replicas as it emphasized to the faithful the importance of embodying childlike virtues, as reminded by the image of Sto. Niño.
“God reigns over them. If we want to approach the heart of the Lord, we must imitate children, imitate the Holy Child,” said Rev. Fr. Juvelan Paul Samia, SDB. “In his humility, in his following the will of the Father, obedience, in his purity of heart, purity, and in his enthusiasm for living.”
The celebration kicked off on Saturday as residents of Tondo — clad in colorful dresses and costumes filled the streets as they danced and carried images of the Sto. Niño to mark the annual Lakbayaw Festival.
This is the capital city’s version of the Sto. Niño festivities that other provinces also celebrate such as the Sinology in Cebu, Dinagyang in Iloilo, and Ati-Atiham in Kalibo, Aklan.
The festivities commenced at 7 a.m. with the procession of the Sto. Niño image from Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño-Tondo.
Some of the highlights of the “Lakbayaw Festival 2024” include beauty pageants, photo exhibits; a showcase of local plants, products, and crafts; and a grand fireworks display.
