Cebu church reopening ‘brings sigh of relief’

CATHOLICS keeping a devotion to the Holy Child Jesus return to Basilica del Santo Niño, home of the Santo Niño in Cebu City, after it reopened on Dec. 24 following a year of repair on quake-damaged parts of the church. JUNJIE MENDOZA/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—The historic Basilica del Santo Niño in downtown Cebu City has reopened to the public more than a year after it was closed for the repair of the damage caused by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in October 2013.

The reopening of the church on Dec. 24 came two weeks before the traditional “Walk with Jesus,” a religious procession that takes place at 4 a.m. on Jan. 8 and signals the start of the nine-day festivity leading to Sinulog, the feast celebrated for the Holy Child Jesus.

Fr. Jonas Mejares, rector of the centuries-old church, said Augustinian friars were given the clearance by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to reopen the basilica on Christmas Eve.

Since then, morning Masses, except on Fridays and Sundays, are being held inside the church while other liturgical ceremonies, including activities in line with Sinulog, would continue to be held at the basilica’s Pilgrim Center.

Mejares said the main entrance door of the basilica was still cordoned off because of the ongoing restoration of the belfry that was destroyed by the quake.

Another door adjacent to the main entrance is open, he said.

“I’m absolutely happy that the interior part of the basilica has been reopened to the public,” Mejares said.

“People have been longing to get back inside the church. They are actually waiting for this. And I fully understand what they feel,” he said.

In an inspection made after the quake, Mejares said cracks appeared on parts of the basilica.

These were, however, repaired already. The completion of the repair work came in time for Sinulog on Jan. 18 and the celebration of the 450th year of the discovery of the Santo Niño image.

The city’s faithful are also celebrating the 450th year of Augustinian presence in the Philippines and the 50th year of the church’s elevation as a basilica minore.

He said the basilica’s roofs had been repainted while chandeliers inside it were refurbished.

“Reopening the basilica brings a sigh of relief on our part,” Mejares said.

The basilica is the home of the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu, which was given as a gift by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Cebu’s Queen Juana in 1521.