Leyte – Samar NZ Solidarity Foundation Inc.
HISTORY OF SANTO NINO de LEYTE
by Gilda Giron
Sto Nino Church of Tacloban City draws its awesome grandeur from the history of its people and the icon of the Child Jesus who’ve made it a permanent home. A bastion of Catholicism in this city of 220,000, Sto Nino church safeguards the evangelical faith of approximately 70% of Taclobanons who are Catholics. Headed by a monsignor, he’d be assisted by five or seven others clerics who help him manage the busy schedule of the parish. I used to serve the parish priest here when I was still a seminarian. The parish church is usually very busy during Lent and from Advent to Christmas. Significant church events are also held here.
Going back through time, the original church structure was built by the Jesuits as a small chapel or “visita” under the titular Dulce Nombre de Jesus. They found the location a practical site for the new converts since it faces a wide channel and is situated on solid plain ground. The small chapel was made up of light materials and nipa. The Jesuits would visit the “Iglesia Katoliko” by way of a banca, from a nearby port known as Balyuan. This happened around 1596 and came under the guidance of the Palo friary. When the Jesuits where expelled from the country, the Augustinians from nearby Cebu Basilica del Sto Nino took over and renamed the chapel Sto Nino in 1768, the same year when Tacloban was declared a city and the first Spanish settlers settled in. The Franciscans came in around 1843 to manage the parish and by 1860, a new Romanesque Church in was built with a towering appearance and the prominence of around arches and small windows ventilating around the church. The church was made of adobe and a mixture of coral stones, a common style and method during this period. Two belfries were attached on top. Unfortunately, a strong typhoon blew the uppermost part of the roof and caved in, paving way for the church to be rebuilt with only one belfry. During wartime, an earthquake damaged the church and a new more modern style was built with the aid of semi- modern construction materials. It was only in 1990 that the church was finally handed over to the Archdiocese of Palo. The present form of the church dates back to 1986 with a new repainting job in early 2000. The new altar was inaugurated during the Jubilee year April 15 2000. Several noted priests became the parish priest of Sto Nino including the new Bishop Reverend Filomeno Bactol, Msgr Cesar Petilla and Msgr Abarca.
At present, there are three images of the Señor Sto. Niño de Tacloban:
Why June instead of January the City Fiesta of Tacloban
REMEMBER Leyteños the 1889 miracle of the Sto Niño de Tacloban……
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22
– El Capitan (the original miraculous image reposed on the retablo)
The Santo Nino de Leyte has been the object of devotion and worship by Leytenos since the first Missionaries in the island introduced the Image. Over the years, the residents of Tacloban were drawn together by their mutual affection for the Child Jesus. The “Hermanidad han Santo Nino” was later created and the feast day of the Holy Child was celebrated every third Sunday of January. However, a series of dramatic and miraculous events unfolded and forever changed and shaped the destiny of the Leytenos and their patron saint, Senor Santo Nino.
In 1888, the original image of the Child Jesus, known as the “El Capitan”, was brought to Manila for a facelift and a change of its vestments in preparation for its forthcoming feast day. On its return trip to Tacloban on-board the steamship “Luzon”, the image was packed in a crate together with some heavy bronze “Candelabras”. The Santo Nino, however, did not reach its destination as the ship caught fire off the coast of the Mindoro and Romblon provinces. In the midst of the confusion, the crate containing the image of the Sto. Nino was thrown overboard and, for some time was believed to be lost at sea.
A year after the incident, the devotees and residents of Tacloban were at the brink of giving up all hope of ever seeing their beloved Sto. Nino again. The feast day of the Holy Child came and went without a celebration. Adding to this despair was a cholera epidemic that engulfed Tacloban. The deadly plague claimed many lives and, almost every night, its victims were loaded into a “aromata” or two-wheeled carriage drawn by carabao, to be buried in common graves. At the height of the epidemic, the Leyte Governor received a letter from Jose Gil de Avalle, Military Governor of Mindoro, stating that a crate labeled “Santo Nino Han Tacloban” was spotted at sea by one of his Barrio Lieutenants. The crate was seen afloat with a boy standing on its top and, to the disbelief of the natives of Mindoro, it remained afloat despite its heavy load of bronze Candelabras. The Hermanidad promptly organized and dispatched a team of nine volunteers to retrieve the image. News of the recovery and the image’s expected arrival spread like wild fire. Devotees and residents, including those struck with the plague – in canes, crutches, stretchers and hammocks – all trooped to the waterfront to welcome home their beloved Sto. Nino. The boat “Consuelo” bearing the Sto. Nino was met with much rejoicing as it docked at about three in the afternoon, June 30, 1889. History reveals that on this day, the cholera epidemic disappeared. Since then, the 30th of June became the feast day of the Senor Santo Nino de Leyte. It is always a day of thanksgiving, prayer, rejoicing and celebration.
Sto Niño de Leyte, pray for the survivors & the deceased victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.
