Gift from God: 450th Kaplag celebrated

CEBU, Philippines – Santo Niño de Cebu devotees, Cebuanos and non-Cebuanos alike, commemorated the 450th anniversary of the discovery of the wooden image of the Child Jesus as well as of the presence of the Augustinians in the country in 2015.

The celebration was also tied to the 50th anniversary of the then San Agustin Church, the old name of the Basilica del Sto. Niño.  

To observe the important events, cultural activities ran for 10 days leading to the Grand Kaplag Fiesta on April 28, starting with a morning Mass on April 18.

A traslacion, or the transfer of the Holy image to the Our Mother of Perpetual Help –Redemptorist Church followed the Mass. The traslacion symbolizes the reunion of the Child Jesus with His mother seven decades after He sought refuge there during the World War II.

The next day, April 19, the first of the nine-day novena Mass commenced, with the Penitential Walk with Jesus at dawn joined by thousands of devotees, who accompanied the Sto. Niño image back to the Basilica in an hour-long procession.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was present during the last novena Mass, his first Mass at the Basilica. He also led 100 clergymen in a con-celebrated Mass, which happened right after the Grand Reenactment, or the onsite portrayal of the arrival of early explorers until the finding of the wooden image of the Holy Child by Juan Camus, a soldier in the expedition led by Manuel Lopez de Legazpi.

In the afternoon that day, April 28, following a solemn procession, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma celebrated a Pontifical Mass, where he declared that the discovery of the Holy Child’s image was a gift from God.

“Today is a special day as we come for the Eucharistic celebration, we reflect precisely on God’s gift of Kaplag. That providential April 28, 1565 when the group of (Miguel Lopez de) Legazpi and a soldier Juan Camus discovered the miraculous image of Sr. Sto. Niño, and that’s why we are here because we know it is part of the plan of Sr. Sto. Niño, it is part of God’s plan that the image given to Queen Juana 44 years before would be preserved and will become the icon and the symbol of the Filipino faith, something we are thankful to the Lord,” Palma said during his homily.

   He said that while Filipinos officially became Christians when the Spanish missionaries arrived in the country, it was the finding of the original image from that expedition sealed and strengthened our faith.

In the evening, several groups danced the Sinulog on Osmeña Boulevard from Fuente Osmeña in midtown Cebu City to the Basilica.

   For the Eucharistic celebrations, the 450-person Choir Ensemble offered songs and hymns such as the “Gift of Faith” and “Ikaw Makaplagan,” which were original compositions of Basilica Rector Jonas Mejares and Manny Lapingcao, respectively. —/ RHM (FREEMAN)