TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Thousands of Santo Niño devotees from all over Eastern Visayas and other parts of the country, flocked to Tacloban City today for the 122nd Feast of Santo Niño de Tacloban, the Patron of Leyte.
The Pontifical Mass was celebrated by Bishop Leonardo Medroso of the Archdiocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol, and Bishop Filomeno Bactol of the Diocese of Biliran. Both were once parish priests of the Santo Niño Parish church in this city.
They were joined by Bishops Emmanuel Trance of the Catarman Diocese; Crispin Varquez of the Borongan Diocese; Angel Hobayan, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Catarman, Msgr. Jaime Villanueva, administrator of the Archdiocese of Palo and more than 100 priests from all over Eastern Visayas.
Yesterday's activities were purely religious activities, and at 2 p.m., a fluvial procession was held with the Santo Niño de Tacloban icon taken on a journey or fluvial parade along the Cancabato Bay Area, after which a land procession was done around the city's major streets.
The June 30 Feast of Senior Santo Niño in Tacloban City, relived history when the miraculous image was recovered and returned to Tacloban 170 years ago, after it got lost in the seas when the ship it was riding got burned on the way to Manila for repair.
The recovery and return of the icon led to the healing of thousands of sick Taclobanons and the end of a famine that gripped the city during the days when it was missing.
As the devotion to Santo Niño became province-wide, Bishop Teotimo Pacis of the Diocese of Palo signed a decree on June 1, 1967, making the Santo Niño the Patron of Leyte, comprising the territory of the Diocese of Palo. (FREEMAN)