Basilica Minore del Santo Niño: A Tale of Time

A candle vendor offering candles

Hundreds of people in basilica

        August 14, 2011- The sky was blue, the air was crisp and the sun was shining gloriously.  The sun was nearly blinding but it didn’t stop me to go to the downtown of Cebu where the oldest Roman Catholic church lay. As I entered its compound I could see people doing different things. The first group of people I noticed was the candle vendors wearing yellow sleeved shirts and red skirts. An old woman came to me and offered me different colors of candles. There were blue, red, and yellow shades of candles. I declined but I could see other vendors dancing while reciting prayers for their customers. The second group was the balloon vendors wearing red jackets as their uniforms who were hoping that people going in and out of the compound will buy their products. The last group was the people gathered in the front court who were standing to attend a Mass in the open-air, theater-like structure called the pilgrim center right in front of the old church.  Despite the hotness of the place and the blinding rays of the sun, they were able to withstand the condition just to hear Mass. The people in the compound were like a colony of ants in a one, big nest. They wave their hands at the child Jesus As I stepped further from the entrance to the big crowd there I saw what I was looking for- the exquisite and historical Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño still intact amidst the years passed.   

People attending mass in the pilgrim center

          The Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño was founded on April 18, 1565 by an Augustinian priest Andres de Urdaneta. Father Andres de Urdaneta was the colleague of the Spanish conqueror Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who led the Legazpi- Urdaneta expedition. When Legazpi landed on Cebu to establish a settlement, one of his men found a sculpture depicting The Holy Child Jesus or what is commonly known as the Santo Niño preserved and unscratched in a burned wooden box after a fire destroyed Cebu. Believing it was the baptismal gift Ferdinand Magellan gave to Queen Juana in 1521 and a miraculous statue, Legazpi ordered the construction of the church at the site so that the statue can be enshrined. Father Urdaneta took care of the construction and founded it. The Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is the first Roman Catholic Church established in the Philippines. The church has always been the haven of the Santo Niño ever since and it is currently in the custody of the Augustinians. Formerly known as San Agustin Church, Pope Paul VI elevated it on 1965 to the rank of a basilica minore in honor of the Sto. Niño de Cebu. The former President Ferdinand Marcos also declared the basilica a national shrine because of its importance in the Philippine history. (Emperor Karl, 2011)

Facade of the basilica

The belltower

        However the basilica does not only speak of its history but also showcases Spanish and different architectures fused into one to make a unique and exquisite output. Just like the bahay na bato of the Spaniards, the basilica is made up mainly of cut-coral stones that were quarried from Capiz and Panay by an army of bancas. The molave wood used in the interior of the basilica came from Talisay and Pitalo and was transported also in bancas hired in Argao and Carcar. White stones were used to make the lime, with one banca transporting some 400 pieces of stones. (Emperor Karl, 2011). According to an author named Vela, “the church has all the characteristics of a solid construction to withstand all the earthquakes..” And true enough, the church doesn’t withstood only earthquakes but all forms of natural phenomena like typhoons, climate change, etc. The façade of the basilica follows the Churriguereque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament. Churriguereque is marked by extreme, expressive, and florid decorative detailing normally found above the entrance on the main façade of a building. (Kelemen, 1967). As I observed the façade of the basilica, I could see expressive details like carvings of saints beside the arched main entrance and other symbolic figures which I am not familiar with. In addition, the original stone texture and natural colors of the façade were preserved conveying an air of simplicity of line and elegance. The arched main entrance is balanced by the side rectangular corners. A double-edged triangular pediment crowns the façade. (Emperor Karl, 2011) Attached to the northern end of the façade is a single three-level Baroque style bell tower. It has two blind and open windows alternating in shape, ending up in triangular pinnacled with a circular disc crowned by balusters and a bulbous dome of Muslim influence. (Emperor Karl, 2011). Attached then on the southern side of the façade is a two-level monastery with a courtyard in the interior. A pilgrim was built right across the church as the church could not accommodate the growing number of people who come to hear mass in the basilica. Priests officiate mass in the open-air, theater-like structure.

The Altar

The Ceiling

         As I entered the basilica’s arched main entrance, two things caught my attention: the finely carved altar or retablo and the painted ceiling. The finely carved altar features niches that each contain an Augustinian saint or blessed and the Holy Trinity. It has three rows and seven columns carved in gold I assume because of the golden color. The center column features the God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In its side are the Augustinian saints and blessed- seven saints on the left and seven saints in the right side. The painte ceiling has five sections separated by wooden arches. The different sections feature different scenes or acts.   The first section near the altar gives us the picture of the seven sacraments. The second section depicts the Creation of Genesis, the Ten Commandments of Exodus, and scenes of Jesus Christ in the Four Gospels. The third section pictures the arrival of Magellan in Cebu, the baptism of the Raja Carlos and Queen Juana, and the making of the Magellan’s Cross. The fourth section depicts the discovery of the Santo Niño in a wooden box, the foundation of the church, and the first Mass conducted. Lastly, the fifth section contains figures of Augustinian priests who I believe are pioneers in supervising the church. The stained glass windows of the Santo Niño and the chandeliers hanged on the wooden arches contributed also to the exquisite feeling of the basilica.

A devotee praying to the Sto. Niño
enclosed in a glass case

            Aside from its rich architecture, the Basilica is famous for its miraculous Santo Niño. Basilica helpers attest that it sometimes goes out of its glass case to take long walks at night. They point the grass stains found at the statue’s dress as evidence. I also read a story of miracle of the Santo Niño in Lourdes Rifareal- Cedeno’s blog.

“Typhoon Ruping was a super- typhoon which hit Cebu City in 1990. During its height, a taxi driver, who was a Sto. Niño devotee, continued working to earn extra for his family as well as to help commuters get home. Common sense cautioned him to go home because of the danger. There were many uprooted trees and electric posts fell down barring the streets. Driving along Colon St., he could barely see through his windshield. Straining his eyes, he saw the silhouette of a small boy standing in the middle of the street. The driver stopped and went out of his vehicle to help the small boy. But the boy was nowhere; instead he saw a big uprooted tree blocking the entire width of the street. He had not been warned ahead, he would have collided with the tree. He thanked the Sto. Niño who have protected him from danger.”

Devotees lining up for the Sto. Niño

Though these stories have been dismissed as superstition by the Augustinian priests, it has strengthened the belief of the devotees of Sto. Niño that He will always watches over them. Hundreds of faithful devotees lined up near the courtyard of the monastery just to touch the Santo Niño enclosed in a glass case at the left side of the altar. Aida, one of the faithful devotees, lined up carrying her infant. “I always line up to touch the Sto. Niño every time I go here”, Aida’s reply when I asked her how many time has she lined up just to touch the Holy Child. “All I ask is guidance for my children, good health and blessings.” She also said that even though they were poor, they were still able to sustain their needs and live peacefully. For her, that was the best miracle the Santo Niño gave her. Brian, 22, was also a faithful devotee for 2 years. “I started being a devotee when I came here to Cebu to work.” Brian is call center agent. “Since I am hundred miles away from my family, the Santo Niño serves as my companion here and he never lets me down because of the guidance, protection and blessings I received.” These persons are only two of the thousand faithful devotees who seek for guidance, protection and blessings with the Santo Niño. Devotees also flock to the basilica for the sinug, a prayer- dance offered in supplication or thanksgiving to the Santo Niño. Ladies dance a simple forward and backward routine while murmuring a prayer-chant to the Santo Niño before the colorful candles are offered unlighted. Tessa, 59, is a candle vendor for almost 10 years. “Selling candles and offering sinug is my living and it helps me sustain the needs of my family. I am also happy that I can help other people in praying to the Santo Niño.” Candle vendors wear their uniforms of yellow shirts and red skirts on Friday, Sunday and other special events but usually there only wear casual attire in ordinary times. The basilica was also known for its Novena for the Sto. Niño every Friday but I was not able to witness it.

      To sum it all up, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is a concrete representation of Spanish architecture and Christianity in Cebu. It represents Spanish architecture and other styles fused into one making the basilica unique and exquisite. The Basilica is a house of prayer and pilgrimage to hundreds of thousands of Catholics and non- Catholics. It is the center of devotion of the oldest Christian representation in the country of Jesus as a child and king making it a symbol of Chrsitianity. Trully, Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is worth to visit for.

1. Mark Twain, whose real name is Samuel L. Clemens, is the author of a classic American novel entitled Huckleberry Finn and he lived in Hartford for several years.

2. Mark Twain lived in a very elaborate and elegant house on Farmington Avenue in an area called Nook Farm and he was a neighbor of Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin.

3. Mark Twain's home have windows and a balcony, which reminded the people of a steamboat piloted by Twain on the Mississippi in his youth, that overlooked the large side porch.

4. Mark Twain was one of the first three people in Hartford to own a telephone that was first used commercially in nearby New Haven but he never really liked this newfangled gadget since there was no one to talk to.

5. Mark Twain loved industrial inventions and one of these was the elaborate Paige typesetter which unfortunately for Twain developed the same time as the Linotype machine that was much simpler and less expensive so Twain lost a fortune investing them.

6. Since Mark Twain's beloved daughter, Susy, died of spinal meningitis in the Hartford home, he never felt the same about the house again and soon left the house and Hartford but he returned once when he attended the funeral of his friend, Charles Dudley Warner. 

Paraphrasing

1. Aristotle believed that imitation is part of human experience. The artist can freely imitates what he sees on nature but he should strictly observe the unity of form he imitates. Aristotle relates form as the necessary and natural part of an object. It contradicts to what Plato's definition of form is which is ideal.

2. Aristotle and Plato differs in the way they relate imitation to beauty. For Plato, beauty is an idea and an abstract that is important in understanding the natural world. For Aristotle, beauty is real and can be seen in the structure and function of the form itself.

John Berger's "Way of Seeing"

John Berger's "Way of Seeing" is all about the comparison of the art in the past and the art in the present.

• Oil paintings in the past were the only thing that can capture moments in life. Today, we use cameras to capture the moments.
• Art in the past can be solely reproduced while the art today can be reproduced instantly.
• "The typical female nude painting of traditional oil painting seems modest compared to what we encounter today."
• The art of publicity in the past asked about existence while the art of publicity today asks about our future "Will you be happy?".
• "There was no glamour in the past. Today glamour is showing off the materials you have that the other people do not have and wanted."