Faith that endures: Filipinos' unwavering devotion to the Sto. Niño

Nearly six years ago, a fire engulfed the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish in Manila in July 2020, along with its cultural heritage icon as the image of the Infant Jesus was reduced to ashes.

Despite the loss of the 400-year-old Sto. Niño image and the church, the devotion for the Infant Jesus remains alive and thriving.

Monchito Delos Reyes, the Parish Pastoral Council's coordinator, shared that a Eucharistic celebration was even held the day after the fire, with only a tent sheltering the churchgoers.

“Wala namang pagbabago kasi nung nasunog, the next day may Mass na rin kami," Delos Reyes told GMA News Online.

(There were no changes with the devotion of the people because after the fire, a Mass was held outside the burned church.)

“Eventually, nagkaroon kami ng malaking tent. Pero walang pinalampas na araw na walang Misa (eventually, we had a big tent, but there were no missed Eucharistic celebrations),” he added.

The clergy and parishioners continued celebrating Masses outside the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish despite the rain nor the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Inuulan pa kami noon,” Delos Santos recalled. “Walang pagbabago. Ganoon pa rin. Sumunod lang kami sa protocol na distansya during the Mass.”

(We even got wet from the rain. Still, we continue and just follow the protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain social distancing during the Mass.)

The Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish was razed last July 2020, the altar collapsed, the pews were destroyed, and many images of saints, as well as one of the three church bells were burned. Photo by Mariel Celine Serquiña

Fire engulfs centuries-old image

The blaze reached third alarm before it was declared under control. Authorities said the fire may have been caused by faulty electrical wiring.

The altar collapsed, the pews were destroyed, and many images of saints, as well as one of the three church bells were burned.

Delos Santos said the image of the Sto. Niño was not spared from fire since it was located in the inner part of the church.

The image of Jesus Nazareno and the Lord on the Cross was intact, while the Blessed Sacrament was unscathed even after the chapel's wooden tabernacle burned.

A miracle

Masses were held in an open area in front of the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish until the groundbreaking for the construction of the new church in July 2022.

Parochial Vicar Fr. Sigfred Arellano said the construction of a new and bigger church can be considered a miracle.

“Talagang gagawa ang Santo Niño ng paraan upang ibalik yung simbahan,” Arellano told GMA News Online.

(The Holy Infant Jesus will certainly find a way to restore the church. We consider this as another miracle from Him.)

“This is another, maituturing natin na, a miracle ginawa ng banal na Santo Niño,” he added.

(We consider it a miracle of the Infant Jesus.)

Instead of discouraging churchgoers, Arellano said the fire incident strengthened their faith, as donations poured in so they were able to rebuild the church.

“Ang masasabi lang natin, hindi nanghina yung tao. (Pero) lalong lumakas yung devotion, especially during the fiesta,” Arellano said.

(We can say that people didn’t falter. Their devotion only grew stronger, especially during the feast day celebration.)

Today, Eucharistic celebrations are held at the lower part of the church as construction is still ongoing.

Arellano voiced hoped that by next year, Masses will be held on the upper part of the church, since the lower part will be for the columbarium, chapel, and parking area.

Two other Sto. Niño images were donations while the adobe stones that were part of the old church’s foundation were used to create a new altar table. Photo by Mariel Celine Serquiña

Santo Niño images

Three new images of the Santo Niño de Pandacan were donated to the parish, one prepared by the Archdiocese of Manila.

Church officials were able to retrieve a finger from the original Sto. Niño de Pandacan image. This has been installed in a reliquary attached to the chest of the image donated by the Manila archdiocese.

The statue is on display during first Sunday Masses and special occasions, such as the feast day celebration.

The two other Sto. Niño images were donations from the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Santa Ana Church) and by a private individual.

The parish also repurposed the adobe stones that were part of the old church’s foundation. The stones were used to create a new altar table.

Arellano also said the parish will incorporate pandan leaves in the church’s pillars, tabernacles, and tiles.

Tradition lives on

The Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish, which was established in 1712, has prepared for its annual activities, including the Buling-Buling Festival, which is a dance procession observed a day before the fiesta.

If the Traslacion of the Jesus Nazareno features the traditional Dungaw, the Sto. Niño de Pandacan has the 'Pagbisita' of the image of Our Lady of Loreto, a tradition the parish hopes to revive.

The original image of the Santo Niño de Pandacan was said to have been found by children in the early 1600s in a well located near pandan plants.

Despite attempts to keep the image at the National Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc, Manila, it repeatedly returned to Pandacan.  — BAP/KG, GMA Integrated News