Santo Niño de Pasion de Navotas - The Little Prince of Navotas

-
Santo Niño de Pasion de Navotas
A few blocks from the historic parish of San Jose de Navotas, there is a newly established parish that became one of the centers of the devotion to Santo Niño de Pasion in the country, next to Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Poblacion, Makati City (home of the images of Virgen de la Rosa and Sto. Niño de Pasion de Makati).

Even from its early years as a visita (chapel), devotees already flock his throne to seek his help in their everyday needs and it  became one of the most frequented holy places in Navotas.

The image

The venerable image of Santo Niño de Pasion de Navotas is a de vestir wooden image of the Child Jesus under this particular title.

The image has a sorrowful mien and tearful looking down to the cross that he is holding on his left hand while on the right he holds a crown of thorns and the three nails meditating on His future Passion and death on the Cross to fulfill his mission to save the World from the hands of the enemies.

The image sports a wig, the aureola on his head and vested with vestments made from a variety of materials and designs that were given by the devotees for years. The image stands on a base and it is currently enshrined at the main altar of the parish.

Santo Niño de Pasion de Navotas
The beginning of the devotion

The century old image of Santo Niño de Navotas was initially owed by a pious yet childless couple named Roman and Inez Santos. Roman, known in Navotas as "Tandang Uman Dasal" was known to always have his rosary on his hand and became an instrument for teaching the children in Daanghari, Navotas to pray, particularly the Holy Rosary, and the devotion to the Santo Niño.

The Santos family, together with the community of Daanghari built a chapel dedicated to the Santo Niño de Pasion and it was established in April 26, 1906 through "bayanihan". Initially, the Masses wasn't celebrated in the chapel and it was only opened for special occassions until it was granted by with the help of  Msgr. Jose Mirasol and then the Parish priest of San Jose de Navotas Fr. Macasio Toribio. Masses in the chapel are held every first Wednesday and Sunday of the month. As the years passed by, the chapel developed and improved with the help of the community who are also devotees of the Santo Niño de Pasion to its present condition today.

On December 10, 2017, now part of the Diocese of Caloocan (since 2003), Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, DD, elevated the Santo Niño de Pasion Chapel into a Quasi-Parish and appointed Rev. Fr. James Anthony del Rosario as its custodian. In 2019, the Quasi-Parish of Santo Niño de Pasion de Navotas received the relics related to the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the piece of the crib to the stones of the Via Dolorosa and other instruments of the Passion and these can still be seen and venerated up to the present. On April 27, 2019, the Sto. Niño de Pasion Quasi-Parish became a full fledged parish with Fr. James Anthony del Rosario as its first parish priest. The parish in Navotas was the first and so far the only parish in the country dedicated to the Child Jesus under the title Santo Niño de Pasion.

A gathering of devotees of Sto. Niño de Pasion de Navotas
The devotion at present

The devotion to Santo Niño de Pasion of Navotas City continues to develop and grow over the years since it was introduced in 1906. The feast of the Santo Niño de Pasion de Navotas is celebrated every Fifth Sunday of Lent, or Passion Sunday. The local devotion to the Sorrowing Santo Niño in Navotas continues to have a place in the City of Navotas and it is gradually spreading in other parts of the Metro.

Looking at the image of the Santo Niño de Pasion of Navotas, we can see how the Child Jesus knew the purpose of His birth - to redeem the world through his suffering and death as he reached the age of 33. Although it is a painful reality, He followed the Father's will to accomplish his purpose. Here, we can learn to this image that we should accept what God willed for us, even if His Will is different from ours. But if we have a childlike confidence to Our Lord, it will give us a consolation that He is there for us along the way to do his Holy Will.

Santo Niño de Pasion de Navotas, have mercy on us!

 Reference:

Interview:

del Rosario, James Anthony - Parish Priest, Santo Niño de Pasion Parish, Navotas City

Special thanks to Rev. Fr. James Anthony del Rosario for the historical narrative and for the photographs of the Santo Niño de Pasion that was utilized in this blogpost.
+AM+DG+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Nuestra Señora de la Regla: Cebu's Gracious Lady

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de la Regla de Cebu Aside to the famed Santo Niño de Cebu, there is another devotion that flourished in the island that pilgrims visit through the centuries succor in times of great need - the felicitous Nuestra Señora De la Regla. The miraculous image is venerated widely by the Cebuanos who believe that the prosperity they enjoy is a blessing achieved through the strength of her maternal intercession. The image is currently venerated at The National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Regla in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Cebu. Features of the image The image of the Virgin is patterned to the original located in Chipiona, Spain. The Our Lady of the Rule image carved from the trunk of dark Philippine hardwood, was installed at the her own altar of Our Lady of the Rule Church in Lapu-Lapu City. The Brown Madonna holds the Infant Jesus in a form of offering and showing - as if she is presenting the Child Jesus to the people and telling them to worship his Son -
Read more

Nuestra Señora da la Salud: The Powerful Health of the Sick

-
Image
Nuestra Señora da la Salud Within the confines of modern Quezon City, there is a precious treasure that was once one of great importance of Old Manila's Glorious Past. This principal treasure is the dark image of the Blessed Virgin, under the title of"Nuestra Señora de la Salud" (Our Lady of Health) brought by the Recollect missionaries to the Philippines in 1634. In the olden days, the Virgen de la Salud is one of the most celebrated Marian images in the country with numerous miracles were attributed to this Dark Virgin of Old San Nicolas Church. So numerous and well known that even high government officials of the time are in attendance and one of most awaited in the summer and it somehow rivals that of the Virgin of the Santo Rosario of Old Intramuros (now will be venerated in her new Shrine in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.) However, after the ravages of World War 2, though the image was safe and kept by her custodians, the devotion her seemed to be forgotten by
Read more

The Regal and Miraculous Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Bacolor of Bacolor, Pampanga

-
Image
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Bacolor (Church image) Bacolor, Pampanga, one of the most historic town one of the most populated in the province that was once the provincial capital of the province bearing the name "Villa de Bacolor" and dubbed as "Atenas de Pampanga" due to its significant role in the history, culture, economy and faith in Pampanga. Bacolor is also famous for its centuries old sunken San Guillermo Church where half of edifice was submerged by lahar during the Pinatubo eruption in the early 1990's and decades later as the church from the iconic ABS-CBN teleserye "May Bukas Pa". Bacolor is also known as one of the main Marian pilgrimage sites in the province and also of Central Luzon because it was in the famed Bacolor Church were the miraculous image of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Bacolor is enshrined. The Virgin of the Rosary of Bacolor became a silent witness of the colorful yet tra
Read more

Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga - the Queen of Cavite

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga In the province of Cavite, located in Southern Luzon area, there lies a church in Cavite City, then known as Cavite Puerto where it has been, and still is, the center of pilgrimage in the whole province and outside, including Metro Manila and other provinces for the parish San Roque in Cavite City is the home of the famous Patroness of the Cavite - Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, the undisputed Queen of Cavite. For Caviteños, the Soledad will always be part of their lives for tremendous miracles were attributed through her intercession and it is no wonder that in almost every home in Cavite, altars and doorsteps are not complete without an image of the Soledad either in print, sculpture, reliefs and other media. The icon has received several titles in its history, including "Queen of Cavite" and "Exalted Patroness and the Celestial Guardian and Protectress of the Province of Cavite and its Port" (Spanish
Read more

Nuestra Señora de Barangay - The Mother and Protectress of the Barangay

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de Barangay Of all Marian images venerated in the country, there is a simple yet beautiful image of Our Lady that is very unique in our consciousness, the very Filipina image of the Virgin of the Barangay. The image of the "Virgen sang Barangay" gained much attention since its first public appearance in the 1950's as the Patroness of the Barangay sang Birhen Organization and began touring the nation for some years and numerous replicas of this image, whether it is a painting or a three-dimensional statue, this particular Venerada clearly shows how the Blessed Virgin became became our own Mother of the Filipino Nation and became a unifying force for centuries and still enjoys much love and veneration as time passed by.  The image The icon of the Virgin of the Baranggay depicts the Virgin presenting her Son to the barangay. The Virgin wears the traditional balintawak and wearing a red and yellow tapis on her waist while the Child is covered with
Read more