At least 5,000 devotees are expected to attend the 20th anniversary of the miracle of the holy oil that came out of the image of the Sto. Niño on Jan. 27, 1992 in the house of the late Corazon Gonzales at 10:30 a.m.

At 7 a.m., Jan. 27, the two-ft image will be brought out of the Holy Family Prayer Room and enthroned at the festival grounds on No. 65 Pijuan Street in BF Resort Village, Las Piñas. Earlier Novena will run Jan. 18-26 at 5:30 p.m. in the Prayer Room.

The Montealto children will lead the novena at 7:30 a.m. followed by the Thanksgiving Mass of Msgr. Benedicto Aquino, the new parish priest of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish.

Brother Dodong will hold healing at 9 a.m. at the Bumatay residence along Pijuan Street.

Fatima Soriano will give an inspirational talk followed by the Healing Mass of Fr. Gerard Deveza, at 11 a.m.

Fr. Pio Lomibao, OSB, and Fr. Basil Apostol, OSB, whose mother was healed by the Sto. Niño, will anoint the people with healing oil from the statue.

Mass by Fr. Corsie Legaspi

A motorcade at 2 p.m. will bring the Sto. Niño to the parish church where a concelebrated Mass will take place at 3 p.m., with Fr. Corsie Legaspi as main celebrant.

Other celebrants are Msgr. Aquino, Msgr. Pjilip Ocol and Fr. Daniel Healy.

The Missionaries of the Child Jesus will be the choir.

Devotees in Bacolod led by Lenny Montinola and the Carmelites, Dumaguete, Lucena and Cebu will also celebrate with Masses. They have replica images of the Sto. Niño de Providencia.

Miracle of the oil

Lorna Gonzales said that on Jan. 27, 1992, the small statue of the Sto. Niño which her mother bought in Tayuman in 1988, was placed in the living room of their house, so they could pray day and night for the healing of her brother, Rodolfo “Boy” Gonzales Jr.  then a medical intern at the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital.

Boy was struck on the head by a steel bar near the Labor Hospital in Quezon City one evening after bringing a female intern home. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors tried to save his life. They did, but he was in a coma.

“I saw our whole sala flooded with a very sweet smelling and sticky liquid,” said Lorna. “I saw the eyes of the image oozing liquid profusely flowing down his chubby cheeks. I scooped the oil and applied it on the body, head and face of my brother over and over again. With that Holy Oil, my brother started to recover gradually.

“At about noon, nuns and priests of different congregations came to pay homage to Him. Endless devotees started to pour in every day. For this reason, we had to construct a small Prayer Room to be able to accommodate devotees coming from all over the country. Soon devotees from foreign countries started to visit Him.”

Icon named

Msgr. Josefino Ramirez named the image ” Miraculous Infant Jesus de Providencia.” He blessed the Holy Family Prayer Room on June 16, 1992.

Lorna Gonzales said she needs “love offerings” for the 20th anniversary. Those who have been helped through healing and the solution of problems may want to help. Call her at 5429927 or text 0922-8764626.

Sto. Ñiño exhibit

The Congegacion del Santissimo Nombre del Niño Jesus will hold the 33th Fiesta del Santo Niño Jan. 19-27 at the PNB Financial Center along Diosdado Macapagal Avenue. At least 750 images will be exhibited. Novena Masses will be held at 7 p.m.

This year’s hermanos mayores are Bootsie and Oscar Violago and Mellie and Luis Ablaza.

Registration is Jan. 16-18. Opening of the exhibit is on Jan. 19, at 5 p.m. Grand procession is on Jan. 29, 3 p.m., from the Philtrade Center to the Quirino Grandstand. Call Daisy at 5259126, Weng or Jean at 5253421.

Monasterio de Tarlac

Pilgrims will drive up the mountain of San Jose, Tarlac on Jan. 30 for the 9 a.m. Mass to mark the fifth anniversary of the enshrinement of the Relic of the Holy Cross.

Msgr. Volker Bauer, former custodian of the Relic of the Holy Cross in the Diocese of Essen, Germany, will fly to the Philippines for the event.

Five years ago, Msgr. Volker had turned over the the relic to the Servants of the Risen Christ community headed by Prior Archie Cortez, SRC.

A devotee, Sally Maddatu, will bring up pilgrims on Jan. 29 after lunch for the vigil. Those interested to join can text her at 0906-2395166. Tour package includes overnight hotel stay, dinner, breakfast and lunch.

Fatima image in town

The Miraculous International Pilgrim Statue of Fatima from Portugal will be in St. James Church in Ayala Alabang on Jan. 19.

The rest of the Fatima’s itinerary: Jan. 15 (Diocese of Antipolo); Jan. 15-17 (Diocese of Bacolod); Jan. 17-19 (Archdiocese of Cebu); Jan. 19-20 (St. James the Great Parish (Ayala Alabang); Jan. 20-21 (Don Bosco Makati); Jan. 21 (Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord-SM Megamall Chapel); Jan. 22-23 ( Santuario de San Antonio (Forbes Park); Jan. 23-24 (National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Better Living, Parañaque); and Jan. 24-25- Manila Cathedral (with Farewell Mass at 12 noon, Jan. 25).

‘Buling-Buling’

Sto. Niño de Pandacan devotees held its yearly Buling-Buling parade on Saturday to celebrate the fiesta of the Child Jesus on Monday.

“Buling-Buling” is a street dance carrying the Child Jesus as they danced. Former first lady Imelda Marcos, who is from Pandacan, was the hermana mayor; Joel Cruz was hermano mayor.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Sto. Niño. Let us whisper our prayers to Him who told Santa Teresa de Avila: “The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you.”