An estimated ten thousand devotees yesterday attended the Walk for Jesus that marked the opening of the nine-day Novena Masses and the Sinulog Feast.
Thousands assembled at Fuente Osmeña before 4 a.m. for the procession where devotees bring images of the Holy Child and candles.
Police authorities were present to secure the area from Fuente Osmeña Circle to the basilica, tanods from different barangays also helped secure the image of the Holy Child on a float and controlled the crowd.
Attendees for this year’s activity was reportedly double last year’s, filling the streets stretching from Fuente Osmeña to the Basilica del Sto. Nino.
The Mass that followed was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Andrew Batayola, the basilica’s rector.
In his homily, Batayola talked about the comfort of going home to the place where one grew up.
He said that every year a lot of devotees visit Cebu for the feast. Batayola said that the number is increasing every year as a lot of balikbayans come here because of their devotion to the Holy Child.
“There is no place like home, like Jesus who went back to Nazareth where he was born,” Batayola said.
“Pilgrims believe that the Holy Child is miraculous, we don’t need speakers but doers of the Word of God,”he said.
Nieves Bumaya, one of the devotees who is from Bohol said that she visits Cebu yearly as her devotion to the Holy Child.
“Milagroso gyud ang Senyor, ang akong mga gipangayo ihatag jud niya. Ang akong mama nasakit kaniadto apan naayo kini human kami nianhi aron mangayo ug tabang sa senyor,”she said.
Eric Chan, a student set to take the medical board exam this February said he is here in the city hoping the Holy Child will grant his petition. — Jasmin R. Uy and Phoebe Jen Indino/BRP