In the year 1631 the Saxons invaded Prague and the plundering did not bypass the monastery. The sculpture of the Child Jesus was thrown out with the waste behind the High Altar. Here Father Cyril a Matre Dei found it when he returned to the abandoned church in Mala Strana from München. The sculpture was damaged. After many attempts in vain, Father Cyril was happy to get some money from a Prague citizen for repairing the broken arms. The Infant Jesus thus became again the object of worship and a number of miracles were linked to the statue and also the protection of Prague from the Swedes.

They came in all shapes, colors and sizes. Most wore regal red velvet capes, one had a faux white fur coat, there was an apparition in pink and still another in a very summery shirt and grasskirt. Devotees from as far as Wisconsin attended the 6th Santo Niño de Agosto Fiesta in Illinois held on Saturday, August 19, 2006 at the St. Genevieve Church in Chicago, Illinois. This project was initiated by Fr. Leoncio S. Santiago. (Photo: ABF)

By Kathleen Bell

This little statue has been my favorite since I found it three years ago. It came to me in a jumbled box lot from an estate sale. Look at it closely and it is a reassembled puzzle glued together after a bad break. The neck and the base and back have been repaired. The statue was quite dark with dirt when I found it, but has been cleaned just this side of falling apart. It is Portuguese and the eyes are made of glass, giving it a kind and sympathetic countenance. It sits on top of my desk in my writing space in the basement.

Alas, not for me the window view for writing. I do best in my spot underneath the living room, where I can hear the children going about their treks, their games, their cooking. It was many years before I grabbed onto the notion of a place of my own to write. I do it best right here, where disturbance is minimal.

This little statue reminds me of my nephew Jimmy, who looked a lot like this when he was a tiny boy. It’s a sweet religious image. So approachable. Since I understand children, it is so easy for me to pray wrapped in this devotion. I just talk and tell Jesus what I need and I pray for my family, my friends, one by one. It’s conversational and very Filipino. It comes from the heart and not from the detached intellect. It’s a conversation, not a meditation. It’s full of pleas and please. Talking to children is easy, they listen with their big eyes. I become an asking child when I pray to the Santo Niño.

The devotion to the Holy Child was brought to the Philippines in the 1500’s. As is so typical in these stories of religious devotion in the Philippines, the people were in a state of expectation for the Holy Child as he was prefigured in their animist religion. When Magellan arrived, things began peacefully. The Queen of Cebu, Ratu Humanay, was very touched when encountering the Santo Niño statue that Magellan brought with him. She asked to be baptized.

People oftentime think that the Santo Niño de Cebu devotion is the same as the Infant of Prague. The Filipino devotion has an earlier history since Magellan landed in 1521 and the devotion was revived when Legazpi arrived in 1565.

Magellan was killed by Lapu-lapu and the remains of the Spanish fleet hobbled back to Spain. The crew of 250 was reduced to 8. It took some years for the Spanish king to put the Philippines back on its immediate agenda. {Read more…}

In 1565, over four decades after Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi entered Cebu and wrote a report that read in part:“…One of the soldiers went into a large and well-built house of an Indian, where he found an image of the child Jesus (whose most holy name I pray may be universally worshiped). This was kept in its cradle, all gilded, just as it was brought from España; and only the little cross which is generally placed upon the globe in his hand was lacking. This image was well kept in that house, and many flowers were found before it, no one knows what object or purpose. The soldier bowed before it with all reverence and wonder, and brought the image to the place where the other soldiers were. I pray to the holy name of this image which we have found here, to help us and grant us victory, in order that these lost people who are ignorant of the precious and rich treasure which was in their possession may come to a knowledge of him.”

In 1566, an unsigned printed document on the Legazpi expedition came off the press in Barcelona that made this reference to the image:

“In a poorly built house was found an image of the Child Jesus, such as come from Flanders, with his veil and the globe in his hand, and in as good condition as if it were just made…They began construction of a fort, outside of which they erected a church, wherein the child Jesus was placed, and they called the church [Santissimo] Nombre de Jesus [Holy Name of Jesus].”

Based on the above and other contemporary documents, we all know the story of the Santo Niño de Cebu. Is the one venerated in Cebu today the exact same one found by Legazpi in 1565? Is it the same one presented by Magellan to the wife of Humabon in 1521? I checked the Skelton translation of the Pigafetta manuscript preserved in Yale University and promptly got confused. Relating the conversion of the king and queen of Cebu, Pigafetta wrote:

“After dinner our chaplain and some others…went on shore to baptize the queen. And she came with forty ladies and we led them on to the platform, then we caused her to sit on a cushion…until the priest was ready. Meanwhile we showed her a lady carved in wood, holding her child (which was very well made) and a cross. The sight of this gave her a greater wish to be a Christian, and asking for baptism, she was baptized, and named Joanna, like the emperor’s mother…Then she begged us to give her that wooden image to put in place of her idols. Which we did.”

{Read more…}

We found this set of beautiful images at Juned Sonido’s “Pinoy Snapshots” photo blog.

“As you can well see my other nephew “improved” , with a crayon or pen, the portrait of my Grandparents, Father, Aunt and Uncle. Portraits like this used to be a cottage industry of sorts. I used to see a lot of those in Filipino houses as well.”

Visit “Pinoy Snapshots”

Copyright 2005 Ernesto G. Sonido, Jr. All Rights Reserved. Used with kind permission.

From the respected “Ang Frayle” blog here is Agostinong Pinoy’s take on the subject:

“The Sto. Nino de Cebu devotion isn’t growing outside of Cebu inspite of the work of the friars of St. Augustine for the following reasons:

1. The image continues to be called Sto. Nino de Cebu. The fact is unfortunate because the image is tied to an island and to a particular ethnic group. It should be called Sto. Nino de las Islas Filipinas or the reference “de Cebu” should be dropped.

2. Despite the rich theological resource provided by the devotion to the image itself, it is not incorporated in preaching. The devotion has three focal points:

- the Incarnation
- the Christianization of the Philippines
- “becoming a child” Spirituality

All the above is set aside in favor of the pomp and funfare associated with the feast of the Sto. Nino. The fact that the feast is celebrated in proximity to the Christmas season should be used as an occassion for reflecting on the Principle of the Incarnation, according to which God acts in human history with the cooperation of men and women who give Him — as Mary did — their humanity so as to give flesh to His Word. The constant reminder that the faith came to us from Europe should be a means for us Filipinos to appreciate the term “Catholic”, that is, “spread throughout the world” and the faith that is proclaimed universally. Finally, the ati-features of the image of the Holy Child should also be used as a launch pad for a communal reflection on “God Wants To Be Filipino, Too.”

Read more here.

In our online meanderings we came across “The Holy Needle”, an interesting site supplying religious wardrobe and accessories. A fine product we discovered was this:

“a full size sewing pattern to make vestments for Infant of Prague Statues. Over the last few years we’ve had so many requests for such a pattern. So we sat down at the drafting table. This pattern has become one of our TOP sellers. The full size pattern contains detailed sewing instructions as well as additional ideas for embellisments. Full size patterns for three sizes of statues: 9, 12 and 18″

For sewing hobbyists out there, be sure to visit “The Holy Needle”.

Nothing is sweeter than a fledgling website’s very first inbound link and Juned Sonido of Baratillo @ Cubao has given us just that:
“The Santo Nno of Cebu has always been compared with the Infant Jesus of Prague, but there are differences between the two symbols. The Santo Nino of Cebu is has a crown, an orb, and a scepter - all symbols of authority, It is also has metal boots,which makes it look like a soldier. While the Infant of Prague: Athough it has royal vestures it does not have any military trapppings: no boots To say that the Santo Nino has become a part of Filipino iconography is an understatement. From the dancing festivals of the Ati-Ati-han, Sinulog, Mascara, and Dinagyang - where the dancers covered in soot parade around the street carrying the image of the Santo Nino accompanied by loud drum beats and shouts of hala bira and Viva Senor Santo Nino - to the near ubiquitous presence of a Santo Nino in the home; one can feel, hear, and see the presence of Senor Santo Nino. It also has an impressive array of clothes: The Santo Nino may come dressed in the traditional imperial-military regalia or in the dress of a farmer or a cop or even dressed in green clothes -so much green that it becomes painful to the eyes Yes, the Santo Nino given by Ferdinand Magallen has become part of Filipino culture. For more than three hundred years the Filipinos have been carrying and dancing with Senor Santo Nino. There more places, buildings, churches, and people named after the Santo Nino than Magellan

Maraming salamat Juned! Visit baratillo @ cubao

We would also like to greet the Santo Nino devotees at the Dallas-Forth Worth Area in Texas via Gil Agbulos. Welcome to Santo Nino Online!

The Santo Niño has been a part of our culture for centuries and is a fixture even in the arts. Songs have been composed, volumes of prose written and images abound.  In a recent conversation multi-award winning painter Michael Bacol from Cagayan de Oro shares his thoughts on a work showing the Holy Infant:

“It is visually obvious that Sto. Nino is the center of attraction in my painting. It means that Sto. Nino is the center of my life. I could still recall when I was a child, I always saw my mom praying in front of our Sto. Nino and also until now. my mom always told me that asking for His help, it will be granted. since then, I asked for Sto. Nino’s help to find my father. (we are broken family). since 2 years old until 22yrs old. I have never seen his presence, even pictures. I was longing for a father’s image. I was longing for a perfect family, I was longing for a nice home. The same of all the children of the poor. but with Sto. Nino’s help, I was able to see my father after college. I was once a kid with lots of dreams, lots of challenges in life but now a grown up man learned what life is all about. I am striving hard to face the success.”

The work is entitled “come in”
Oil on canvas, 122×91 cm 2003

The painting is available from the artist at his website. Contact him directly for details.

One can’t miss seeing them along the sidewalks of the Basilica either selling religious statues, prayerbooks or dressing up the niños like what this lady is doing. I’m not pretty sure how much it costs these days to get a niño dressed-up but I’m pretty sure it’s worth spending.

Marvin Maning
Cebu, Philippines

CC Licensed Some rights reserved.
View the photo on FLICKR

The January celebrations of the Santo Niño de Cebu starts with a procession from the Basilica. This video from “the ground” gives you an idea of this massive display of devotion among Filipinos.

Watch on YouTube.

Uploaded by BabyEmyat:)