The Province of Santo Niño de Cebu- Philippines (“Santo Niño Province”) of The Order of St. Augustine (OSA) participates in a series of events this month as part of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the image of Santo Niño in Cebu and the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines (1521-2021).
As the caretakers of the original Santo Niño de Cebu image housed in the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu (BMSN), the Santo Niño Province Augustinians donated a Santo Niño de Cebu image that will be enshrined at the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Spain.
“May this aid the faithful in their devotion to the Holy Child,” said Fr. Andres D. Rivera, Jr., OSA, and Fr. Nelson G. Zerda, OSA in a joint message on the certificate that accompanies the image. Fr. Rivera is the Prior Provincial of the Order’s Santo Niño Province, and Fr. Zerda is the BMSN Rector.
The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia will hold an international mass in honor of the Santo Niño de Cebu today, December 5, 2021, at 9 am CET (4 pm PH Time). Organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona, Spain (PCG Barcelona), and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the mass is part of a series of activities (Quincentennial Events) to promote the devotion to the Santo Niño de Cebu in Spain.
The Quincentennial Events in Barcelona will include a procession and an exhibit of the Santo Niños in the Philippines. The procession will precede the mass.
The exhibit, which will highlight the historical and cultural commemoration of the Santo Niño de Cebu, will also showcase the replicas of historic and culturally significant images of the Santo Niño in the Philippines. The exhibit will be held at PCG Barcelona.
The Santo Niño images to be included in the exhibit and procession, as curated by the NHCP, are: Santo Niño de Cebu, Santo Niño de Tondo, Santo Niño de Pandacan, Santo Niño de Ternate, and Santo Niño de Praga of Manila.
Friars from the Order will grace the events, as confirmed by Rev. Fr. Andres D. Rivera, Jr., OSA, the Prior Provincial of the Sto. Niño de Cebu Province. One of whom is Fr. Ericson Borre, OSA, Filipino historian from Universidad de Valladolid, Spain.
BMSN will participate in an Exhibit at Sao Roque Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, starting December 9, 2021. Two artifacts from the BMSN Museum will be exhibited in Lisbon until February 6. Rev. Fr. Nestor Bandalan Jr., OSA, BMSN Museum Director, is attending the opening together with Rev. Fr. Basilio Sugata-on, OSA, BMSN Prior.
Fr. Arnel S. Dizon, OSA, one of the Order’s historians, will lecture on Ferdinand Magellan and the Introduction of Christianity in the Philippines. Fr. Borre will talk about the Devotion of the Cebuanos to the Santo Niño. The lectures will be on December 15, 2021, in Lisbon. Fr. Bandalan will present Fr. Dizon’s lecture, with Fr. Sugata-on also in attendance.
A replica of Santo Niño de Cebu will also be enthroned in a Church in Lisbon.
For more information, check out the website and Facebook page of these organizations:
Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu:
https://santoninodecebubasilica.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/BMSNCebu
Order of St. Augustine – Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu:
https://www.augustiniansphilippines.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/AUGUSTINIANSPH
Santo Niño at 500:
https://www.facebook.com/SantoNinoAt500/
National Historical Commission of the Philippines:
https://nhcp.gov.ph/ and https://www.facebook.com/nhcp1933
Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona:
https://barcelonapcg.dfa.gov.ph/ and https://www.facebook.com/PHinBarcelona
Basilica de la Sagrada Familia:
https://sagradafamilia.org/historia-del-temple
and https://www.facebook.com/BasilicadelaSagradaFamilia
Sao Roque Museum:
https://mais.scml.pt/museu-saoroque/ and https://www.facebook.com/museudesaoroque