The annual celebration honoring the Holy Child Jesus (Santo Nino) was solemnly observed amidst the pandemic with a concelebrated Holy Eucharist at the Pandacan IFI church on January 14, 2021 (Thursday). Also, the inauguration and blessing of the bust of the first Obispo Maximo Gregorio Aglipay by DGMA diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Vicente Salvador Ballesteros, capped the worship service. Aglipay’s bust, located in front of the church edifice, was beautifully sculpted by the Rt. Rev. Warlito Baldomero.
Bishop Buddy Ballesteros was the main celebrant and preacher at the Holy Mass at 8:30 AM. Also at the altar were the DGMA clergy, including the Very Rev. Msgr. Cesar Emmanuel Ballesteros (Domestic Prelate), Bishop Gregorio delos Reyes (former diocesan bishop), Bishop Virgilio Gallo (former suffragan bishop), Bishop Warlito Baldomero (Pandacan’s priest-in-residence); Reverends Dionito Cabillas, Ricardo Aliwalas, Nixon Jose, Orlando Concepcion, Victoria Esguerra, Sherryl Ann Javier-Bianson, and Severino Ismael II. McRaile Domasig, Pandacan YIFI, served as the lector/commentator during the Mass.
Gracing the occasion and in attendance were members of the Manila City Council, among them: The Hon. Vice-Mayor Maria Sheilah Honey Lacuna-Pangan, the Honorable Councilors Carlos Castaneda and Joel Par. The following were the main sponsors who shouldered the expenses of the celebration: Ed Castillo and family, Wellah dela Vega, Nilda Bacus and Ramon Magno, Bobby and Edith Hermoso, and many other donors too numerous to mention. In order to maintain physical distancing inside the church as safety protocol, the parish attendance overflowed to the nearby street fronting the church portal.
In his homily’s introduction, Bishop Buddy gave tribute to the guests, the neighboring church’s (Roman Catholic Church of Pandacan) efforts to rebuild its burned-down edifice, the healing of the land from devastations of natural disasters and coronavirus pandemic, the safety and precautionary measures of the medical frontliners, the much-anticipated covid vaccines, and the hope for a better New Year (2021) through the merciful blessings from the Lord.
Bishop Buddy paid homage to the Holy Child Jesus and recalled how the image of the Santo Nino was brought to the Philippines by the Spanish (Portuguese) colonizers some 500 years ago. He explained the historic first Mass held in Limasawa in 1521, and the country’s celebration this year (2021) of 500 years of Christianity in this part of the world; and the efforts to unite Christians through the ecumenical movement worldwide.
Pointing out the four DGMA parishes celebrating the Santo Nino festival this month of January – Pandacan, Tondo, Bacood, and Punta (Santa Ana, Manila); and the National Cathedral (Taft Avenue, Manila) and Ternate (Cavite) -- he elucidated on how the image of the Santo Nino came to be endeared to the Filipinos and found expressions of this love/devotion through the flamboyant celebrations of the Ati-atihan, Dinangyan, and Sinulog festivals, and elsewhere in the Philippines during January.
Extolling the virtues of children, “Let the children come to me, by Jesus,” Bishop Buddy emphasized the true reasons for the celebration of the Santo Nino feast. He underscored the five noteworthy characteristics of children worth emulating by the adults: (1) Sincerity – expressed in their beautiful smile as reflection of their hearts; (2) Innocence – completely different from ignorance; (3) Purity of heart – under the vision and care of angels; (4) Simplicity – easy to please and without malice; (5) Forgiving – easily forgives (no grudges); (6) Truthfulness – honesty, not liars; (7) Inadvertent Mistakes – careless, unintentional commission; (8) Humility – humble, meek, and unassuming. According to Bishop Buddy, these virtues are needed to be worthy of the invitation to enter heaven, as humans (“humus”) are merely soil in the ground with nothing to boast of. He concluded: “By becoming child-like, not childish, the Word of God materializes in us. Let the Kingdom of God materialize in us.”
At the end of this concelebrated Mass, Bishop Buddy and Msgr. Manny led the brief ceremony to inaugurate and bless the bust of Bishop Gregorio Aglipay, mounted in front of the church ground. The parishioners and guests joined in the prayers and later in the singing of the National Anthem led by the fiesta band. No other activities for the day were held except for the afternoon youth fellowship marked by parlor games, and later the 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM Holy Masses for those who missed attendance in the other morning Masses held at 5:30 AM and 7:00 AM.
