Close to 300,000 attend procession, opening salvo for 461st feast of the Sto. Niño de Cebu

The stretch of Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City was filled with thousands of devotees for the penitential walk with Jesus that signals that start of the Novena masses for the 461st of the Santo Niño de Cebu on Thursday.
The Cebu City Police Office estimated the crowd at 240,000 individuals from 4 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. More came for the opening salvo mass, which possibly reached 300,000 devotees.
“There are more goers this year than last because the weather is good and we just came from calamities,” said Cebu City police spokesperson PLtCol. Jose Los Baños.
Among those who joined in the more than two kilometer early morning walk was Jocelyn Miscala from Barangay Pardo.
“We are praying for good health, calamities to be far from us and for peace,” she said in Cebuano.
It took about one hour for the Carroza of the Santo Niño de Cebu to reach the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño.
During the opening salvo mass, Basilica rector Rev. Fr. Andres D. Rivera Jr. explained that this year’s theme relates to being one with God and the Child Jesus.
“No amount of obstacle will impede us from going near the child Jesus. It is a conviction and a challenge,” said Rivera.
Masses will continue hourly with a 30-minute interval in between.
The Augustinian Friars are expecting that the number of goers will reach up to millions, especially for the solemn foot procession next Saturday.
The feast of the Santo Niño de Cebu is one of the most-visited in the country as the Child Jesus is the oldest image in the country which arrived in 1521.

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