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 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

Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila - The Queen and Protectress of the Philippines

-
Image
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario –  La Naval de Manila Within the busy streets of Quezon Avenue, Quezon City, a towering shrine is seen along its road. Inside that massive shrine of Santo Domingo Church, it houses the silent witness to the turbulent yet triumphant history of the Philippines – the beautiful and grand image of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila. The Virgin of the Rosary of La Naval is not only a silent witness, she is the anchor of hope of the Filipinos through the centuries of its turbulent and challenging history, better yet, the Great Protectress of the islands, the La Gran Senora de Filipinas. The Image of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila (colloquially known as the Santo Rosario or Our Lady of La Naval de Manila), is one of the most miraculous and the most important in the country. As with the Battle of Lepanto of 1571, Filipinos credit her intercession for successfully repulsing Dutch invasion during the Battles of L
Read more

Sisters in Blood, Sisters in Christ - The Talangpaz Sisters

-
Image
Servants of God Dionisia and Cecilia Rosa Talangpaz During the Spanish period,, there were few women who pioneered for a change in the early years of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, then controlled by the Spanish Clergy from the likes of Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, foundress of the Religious of the Virgin Mary, Servant of God Francisca del Espiritu Santo, foundress of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena and the two sisters who founded the Second Congregation for Filipino women, the Augustinian Recollect Sisters of Manila - the Talangpaz sisters of Calumpit, Bulacan. The Talangpaz sisters heeded the call to serve the Lord and later founded a Congregation for Filipinas who wanted to live a contemplative life within the cloisters of a convent which was then denied by the Spanish colonial clergy at that time until the foundation of these Congregations. Despite the Controversies and hardships they faced, the sisters, backed up with their unwavering faith
Read more

Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Angeles: The Regal Patroness of Angeles, Pampanga

-
Image
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Angeles inside the Holy Rosary Parish's famed sunburst altar Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Angeles In the previous blogpost, we discovered the history of the image and the surrounding devotion to Santo Angel Custodio , the titular Patron of Angeles City, Pampanga where the progressive city was named after, aside from its founder Don Ángel Pantaleón de Miranda. On this blogpost, we are going to present the history of the devotion to Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Angeles - the Queen and Patroness of Angeles City, Pampanga. The image The venerable image of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Angeles is a de vestir image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary somehow patterned to that of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Manila where the image is also vested in regal robes with bombas (conical enhancements), wears a set of metal accessories and jewels
Read more

Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Manila - La Fuerza y Alegria de Manila

-
Image
Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Manila (Courtesy of Mr. Christopher Palabay) In the busy streets of Modern Quiapo - Santa Cruz areas, commercial establishments from ever present shopping malls down to the bangketas that sells almost everything from clothing, food, jewelry, that covered the area is always a common scene. With that modern yet looming atmosphere of that district, it is easy to forget that the same district was once one of the most aristocratic and arrogant arrabal (Spanish for district) during the glorious days of Old Manila. The district that several novou riche families and aristocrats used to stay in that neighborhood and where commerce thrives in.  The link between the Glory days of Old Manila and its present atmosphere is located in a dominant Parish Church of Sta. Cruz, the centuries old miraculous image of Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The beautiful sliver gilded image of the "La Pilarica" is the silent witness to the colorful history of the district. As
Read more