A Filipino Cultural & Religious Event: the 2009 Feast of Santo Nino

Parishioners and Catholics from nearby parishes came together on January 17th, 2009 to celebrate the Feast of Santo Niño at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Rancho Cucamonga. Filipinos as well as non-Filipino Catholics such as Vietnamese, Mexicans & Caucasians joined in the festivities that first originated in the Philippines, then was brought to the USA by Filipino Americans.

The Feast of Santo Niño is a celebration that is cultural. The Feast honors Jesus as a child and is also a reminder of the Explorer Magellan's gift to Hara Hamamay of Cebu, a Philippine native, as a symbol of Philippines' alliance to Spain. Despite Magellan's eventual demise resulting from the battle with the Filipino people who preferred to be an independent entity, the Santo Niño statue remained unscathed. The survival of the Santo Niño statue after the destructive, terrorizing, blood bath battle between the Spaniards & the Filipinos continues to be considered a miraculous cultural event.

Not only is the Feast of Santo Niño a cultural celebration, it also plays a role in the religious traditions of Filipino Catholics. Like many churches that have a strong Filipino Ministry, the Celebration of the Feast of Santo Niño would not be complete without a mass, the blessing of Santo Niño statues belonging to the community, a parade, songs & music, and a catered reception. Father Cris Subosa, Parish Priest Minister at Sacred Heart, revealed in his homily during the mass is that all festivities focus on the Life of Christ the Child and is combined with the honoring & respect of all children. He emphasized the importance of recognizing children as blessings. As faithful stewards of Christ, we are entrusted to protect, teach, and care for them. Father Cris made known those children who are "the unborn" are also entitled to that same protection.

To create an authentic Santo Niño celebration centering on children, The Filipino Sacred Heart Children's Choir sang Filipino songs like "Purihin Ang Panginoon, Sayo Lamang & Awit Sa Santo Niño." The fact that 99% of the children did not fluently speak the Filipino language did not hinder their ability to sing these songs of praise with their sweet, angelic voices. Accompanying instrumentalists included Christian Aguirre (flute), Gerard (piano), Rhea Libang (tambourine) and Ronaldo Magadia & Carlos Balao (guitars.)

To see the foot of the altar filled with hundreds of Santo Niño statues was amazing. It was incredible to view the different sizes, statue heights (some were over 3 ft tall), clothing styles (satin shorts & regal capes), fabric colors, and image characteristics. Approximately 400-500 parishioners and visiting individuals attended the event. What's more awesome was the strong belief possessed by each Catholic who demonstrated their conviction by disregarding any inconveniences that surrounded the transport of their Santo Niño statues from their homes to the church.

The mass ended with a grand procession around the church grounds. The church's Santo Niño was mounted on a mobile pedestal and carried on the shoulders of a group of robust young men. The Filipino Adult Choir sang throughout the parade while accompanied by the guitarists.

The youth were further highlighted during the reception that followed. During the meal, a number of entertainment acts performed: a martial arts demo, guitar/vocal soloists, solo pianists, and a children's dance number. The reception ended with the Isang Himig performing group who rendered a vocal duet (Tina Turner's Proud Mary) & trio (ABBA's Dancing Queen) complete with back up dancers.

January 17th, 2009 was a successful celebration of the Feast of Santo Niño. Because Filipinos as well as a variety of different nationalities, the event also became an event of EVANGELIZATION. Many parishioners haved vowed, upon the suggestion of Father Ben Chidi Nwachukwu, Parish Priest Minister at Sacred Heart, to invite more friends outside of the Filipino Ministry to foster evangelization via fellowship and community at next year's Feast of Santo Niño.