Feast of Sto. Niño in Good Shepherd community

On Sunday, January 19, 2014, the Good Shepherd Filipino Catholic Community celebrated the Feast of Sto. Niño, one of the most cherished tradition commemorated every year by Filipino Catholics all around the globe. It marks the beginning of Christendom in our country and its inception in the hearts of many Filipino souls. The Feast of the Sto. Niño also reminds Filipino Catholics that it is God’s will that we should remain His children for all eternity. Although, we grow in age, our values should always remain like that of a child, having an innocent and humble heart.

As part of the celebration, before the Holy Mass started, four ladies from among our parishioners danced the traditional dance, "Sinulog" in honor of the miraculous Sto. Niño. It was believed that the Sinulog dance was introduced by Baladhay, Raja Humabon's adviser, who was miraculously healed from his sickness because of the little child who tried to wake him and tickle him with the midrib of a coconut. According to Baladhay, the child seemed to personify the icon of Sto. Niño. The child got up and started playing with him and he in return danced with the small child. Santo Niño's devotees believed that it was Santo Niño's choice to have the Baladhay dance and since then the Sinulog dance become part and parcel of the tradition whenever this Feast was celebrated.

The Holy Mass was celebrated by Fr. Eric John Wyckoof and concelebrated by two other Filipino Priests: Fr. Tito Voz and Fr. Dante Barril along with Deacon Gabriel Colney. All of them too gracefully joined the Sto. Nino dance as part of the whole Sinulog dance.

See a video of the dance here