Don Vicente Rama’s article on the miracles attributed to the Sto. Niño de Cebu (Last of two parts)

Rama’s article is originally written in Bisaya (Ang Santo Niño sa Sugbo) translated into English by Fr. Rudy Villanueva contained in the book he wrote, “The Vicente Rama Reader, An Introduction for Modern Readers”:

‘The young son of a Spaniard, Rodrigo Madrid Rojas, fell ill in 1634. He suffered severe pains and became crippled as a result. Praying before the Señor, the parents gifted the image with a crown of gold. Rodrigo recovered and before long was able to walk again.

“The year 1651 brought Cebu a terrible calamity with the sudden appearance of worms. Hunger was the aftermath for the worms devoured every plant that sprouted. Deaths began to multiply. Once more the people went to the Holy Child and moved Him from the temporary nipa-and-bamboo chapel He occupied. After eight days, during which time the people were gathered to worship the Holy Child, two large boats loaded with grains arrived in Cebu. The worms disappeared unremarked.

“An epidemic of smallpox struck Cebu in 1652, killing adults and children alike. This the Cebuanos countered by parading the Holy Child again through the streets. Without interruption the people began to recite the novenas as the Señor’s feet, and within a few days the epidemic withdrew by itself.

“Drought struck in 1668 and was stopped… In 1675 an attack of locusts was ended with dispatch… A pitiful humpback lost his deformity in 1677…

“And so on. Yet we felt very much saddened by information we have received. The official proofs of these wonderful events as well as other pertinent papers that carry the signature of General Legazpi are not to found, whether in Cebu or in Manila, having been shipped to the Archivo de las Indias in Spain, where they are now in the official collection and safekeeping of the royal government. All were taken there for fear of possible loss or damage resulting from the colony’s trouble with Spain and America.

“A certain miraculous report claimed that the face of the Señor was frequently noticed to alter in appearance. One careful friar, by the name of Fr. Tirso Lopez, tells us the sightings have not yet been infallibly verified. He further doubts whether there is proof forthcoming that is strong enough to support that kind of miracle. This business of frequently changing appearance-the sunlight frequently creates such an impression. Or else it is in the mind of the beholder.”