Now a Shrine!

I am pleased to hear the good news that the Sto. Niño de Tondo Church has recently been proclaimed an archdiocesan shrine by Cardinal Chito Tagle. I think it's about time that the this ancient center of popular devotion to the Sto. Niño be recognized.  

My mother used to bring me to this church when I was a little boy. It was usually on a Friday, the day of devotion to the Holy Child. The church was full of people. Some would walk on their knees from the main door to the sanctuary where the centuries-old statue of the Christ Child is located.  Still others would make their way up to the Sto. Niño's niche. Still others would light a candle or two. 

Even in my youth, I have frequented this church: attending Mass, going to confession, and honouring the Sto. Niño. My brother Gio and I attended the Simbang Gabi there in 1995. The Masses were led by Msgr. Sabino Vengco, an eloquent preacher. The church was full of people, up to the steps leading to the sanctuary. And yet, there was a feeling among ourselves that we are all equal.

Many years ago, Nidz and I were invited by a friend to their house in Tondo to celebrate their parish fiesta. We decided to attend Mass in the church. There was an over spill of people up to the streets surrounding the church!

Through those years, the church has welcomed people from various walks of life, people touched by the tenderness of the Sto. Niño, people who open up themselves to the Infant Lord. 

Being an archdiocesan shrine does not mean resting on one's laurels. That is why Cardinal Tagle challenged the parish of Tondo to be ready for their new identity: “If that is your identity, that’s also your mission. Along with your identity is becoming a missionary for evangelization”.

Come 5th of February, this historic church will be formally declared as the Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño. I pray that as our sisters and brothers in Tondo take in their new identify and mission, they would take heart from the Sto. Niño's humility, obedience, and compassion. Humility in lifestyle and service. Obedience to the Father's will. Compassion to the least, the last, and the lost. Doing so, others would witness that Ang Tundo Man May Langit Din!

Viva Sto. Niño de Tondo!

My Model

This coming 19th November, it would be 25 years since my Lolo Paul’s passing away. My siblings and I had the misfortune of not being able to see him for the last time – he died and was buried in New York. A few months before that, he was in the Philippines and even managed to travel from Tondo to Cavite to see us. When I saw him (and my aunt and cousins) waiting outside the house, his first words were “Hindi na kayo dumalaw sa akin…” (You didn’t come again to visit me…) He said those in a gentle voice, not reprimanding. I feel the sentence was incomplete, but didn’t press him for that. We both knew that he came to Cavite that blessed Sunday because he missed us. I never saw him that happy to see us.

Years before that final encounter with my paternal grandfather, he wrote me a letter telling me that I am the model for my brother and sisters. I think he wanted me to be aware of the great responsibility I have as the eldest in the brood. I must admit that at a tender age – 8 or 9 years – I took his words seriously. During that time, my father was abroad leaving us 5 children in our mother’s care.

Society has this high expectation on who’s the eldest in the family that one false move and they’re on your case!

How could I be a model for my siblings (and for others)? Perhaps I could pick up some values from my late grandfather:

P – Prayer. Lolo Paul was a man of prayer. He and Lola Piling would start their day with the Holy Mass. He also had devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Rosary, and the Holy Souls. Whenever we travel past a cemetery, he would lead us in praying for the dead. I’m pretty much sure that those souls he prayed for when he was alive have remembered him when it was his turn to be called by God to his true home. I will forever be grateful to Lolo Paul for inculcating in my tender mind then the value of communicating with God as often as I could.

A – Action. Lolo Paul’s actions were rooted in prayer. As a doctor, he always sought guidance from the Divine Healer so he could bring healing to his patients.When he was Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, he spearheaded the traditional Gift-Giving to the poor of Gagalangin Parish held during the Feast of the Epiphany. He and Lola Piling were also the husband and wife team that led the lay faithful of that parish in building a bigger church in the late 50s.

U – Unity. As head of a large family, it was important for him that all members are united for a common goal. When most of the family was still in the Philippines, we would all attend Sunday Mass at the St Rita Hospital Chapel and have breakfast together at his big house – there used to be 2 round tables in the dining area. I was told that when he was still managing the hospital and college he founded, he treated his employees as though they were his own. He also strongly believed in the indissolubility of marriage. Being a dad myself, I have to make sure that my own family would stay intact in spite the many evils besetting families nowadays.

L – Love. Lolo Paul once mentioned that this was the secret of his success. He loved his family very well and devoted his life for their well-being. According to Lola Piling, she found in Lolo Paul “a father, brother, and husband rolled in one”. Having raised 11 children (10 are still alive) can be a daunting task, but because of love he was able to take on the challenge. Indeed, for someone who loves, the difficult becomes doable! And at the end of our lives, we would be judged for how we loved not how much we have in our pockets.

Twenty-five years or so has passed and there have been more people whom I have looked after – siblings, cousins, friends, and now family. I tried my best to be a model for them. I hope I have been a good one. If not, I beg for their indulgence.

May God who once gave Lolo Paul to us, bless his good soul and allow me (and everyone else touched by his words and examples) to continue his legacy while looking forward to that reunion with him in heaven soon.