Thousands of Marian, Sto. Nino devotees join Cebu-Mandaue ‘traslacion’

Thousand of devotees join  procession from Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City. (PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

MANDAUE CITY, Philppines – Devotees, young and old, joined the procession or ‘traslacion’ of the Holy Child and the Our Lady of Guadalupe early Friday morning from the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.

The images left the Basilica after the Misa de Traslacion at around 7 a.m. en route to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Barangay Centro, Mandaue City.

The carriages bearing the images of Señor Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe traversed M.J. Cuenco Avenue passing by Barangay Tejero, Lorega, Hipodromo and Mabolo.

Residents along the procession route brought and hoisted replicas of the Holy Child and the Blessed Virgin Mary,  balloons and even children dressed like Señor Sto  Niño.

Some made altars in front of their houses adorned with images of the Holy Child.

Residents and devotees welcomed the Holy Child and Blessed virgin Mary as the procession arrived at Barangay Subangdaku here around 8 a.m.

Several groups of residents, workers and students from the schools along the procession route danced to the traditional Sinulog beat.

Sound systems, which reverberated the song ‘Batobalani sa Gugma’, also known as Gozos, were also put up by residents.

‘Traslacion’, the Spanish term for ‘to transfer’, is done every year to unite the Holy Family: Señor Sto. Niño, his mother the Our Lady of Guadalupe and foster father, St. Joseph.

The images will stay at the National Shrine of St. Joseph until dawn tomorrow.

The images will be transferred to the Our Lady of the Rule in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-lapu City before the images are be brought back to the Basilica through a fluvial procession./gsg