Pit Senyor

The 29th Annual Santo Nino Fiesta & Sinulog in New Zealand – 15 Jan 2023 is always an exceptional expression of Filipinos’ love and devotion to the Holy Child Jesus, Senyor Santo Nino.

With hearts full of joy and with much gratitude from our heart,

we wish to thank everyone who made this Fiesta another very solemn and successful one. ALL GLORY TO GOD!!!!

We wish to thank you all for your prayers and contributions.

We wish to thank key people in this celebration:

His Grace Bishop Steve Lowe – Bishop of Auckland

Mons Bernard Kiely – Vicar General for the Diocese of Auckland

Fr Mario Dorado – Chaplain to the Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy.

Fr Nathaniel Brazil & Fr Harold Camonias, visiting priest from Australia.

Priests who presided during the 9-days novena masses at St Patrick’s Cathedral:

Mons Bernard Kiely; Fr Mario Dorado; Fr Larry Rustia; Fr Gilbert Ramos; Fr Sherwin Lapaan; Fr Sam Pulanco; Fr Carlos Guleng.

First and foremost, we would like to thank God for another milestone in our journey of faith in this beautiful land of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

29 years of holding annual devotions to Senor Santo Nino here in Auckland, New Zealand and now being held in other parts of New Zealand. Thank you to our Area Coordinators in Hastings, Palmerston North and Invercargill and of course all Area Coordinators in Auckland.

These Devotions we hold close to our heart, handed down from generations to generations, growing from strength to strength.

When in an adopted homeland, we migrants need something we can hold on to when faced with many challenges that every other migrant has gone thru.

Our belief in this Child God, Majestic King has helped us survive

the day to day struggles we encounter as we strive to inculturate into the new environment, the new homeland we call New Zealand.

The last three years of the Covid 19 virus pandemic has been difficult years for all of us and there are still news of new challenges coming up due to it, but it has never stopped us from practicing our faith.

We thank all our Kababayans, our countrymen, who extended a helping hand to those who struggled during those times of need.

As we move on, we hold close to our heart our motto for this year’s fiesta celebration and which we will live throughout the year 2023, MOVING ON, STAYING STRONG, PADAYAN TA NINO.

The phrase “PADAYAN TA NINO” is a word in our Visayan dialect which means: “Let us continue our journey with Senor Santo Nino.”

On behalf of my co-organizers and trustees, we would like to Thank Bishop Steve Lowe, Bishop Catholic Diocese of Auckland, for celebrating this momentous occasion with us and gracing our Santo Nino fiesta celebrations today.

We wish well for Bishop Emeritus Patrick Dunn for guiding us and supporting us in our devotional activities through the years.

May I thank ALL volunteers who have given their time and resources to help make another fiesta celebration a tremendous success, success even in the midst of the scare of further variants of Covid 19 and the anxiety of when we will get out of this whole situation.

VOLUNTEERS, without you, the world will have lots of services to be done but no one to do them.

Thank you to everyone who served in our Fiesta Mass Today: Ministers of Word and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion, altar servers, mass collectors & communion guides, families who brought offertory gifts, our Sacristan Carmen Shaw, Marivic Montano and Butch Rafols.

Mass Coordinators: Romil & Cherry Fernandez

Liturgy Coordinator: Chichi Abadingo

Support Crew: Greg & Aby Montano; Robert & Yoyong Robert Acedillo VillosThe Sentinels organized by Merced Belleza; our fiesta First Aid Team of Jun & Cindy Montajes, Delia Espenido & PIlar Boyle.

The awesome HUNI (Holy Cross Papatoetoe Filipino choir) led by Abel Gomez & Rino Montecillo.

To the Rosary leaders during the procession coordinated by Carol Lim & Melanie Bautista.

Various Filipino choirs who supported us during these 9 days of prayer: Devotional groups and community groups who have joined us and supported us every year for the past 29 years.

To our Major Sponsors for the fiesta:

Mr & Mrs Rex & Joan Yap of NZ Home Loans; Megaworld; and the rest of our sponsors in this fiesta celebration. Your support is very much appreciated.

We thank God for giving us the blessing to continue to work hard in this work of evangelization.

The year 2022 has been a full on one with our Santo Nino de Cebu Group having been appointed as a Community Welfare Provider with the Ministry of Social Development servicing the needs of our Filipino Communities especially to individuals and families affected by the Covid 19 pandemic and for other needs that were assisted by other government agencies. Please feel free to reach out.

To all our Patrons thru the 9-days Novena-masses and our fiesta celebration today – Thank you!!!

We have 16 Area Coordinators in various parts of Auckland and outside Auckland including Invercargill, Hastings, Napier and Palmerston North who help us spread the devotions to Senor Santo Nino. Thank you for committing time to reach out to all our devotees in your area of service.

They can visit you in your home and pray with you. Visit our website and register your name for a visit. Our website is: www.santo –nino.org to get their contact details.

Thank you Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy for your great support. Thank you Bernie & Cecile Delluta, Jeremie de Guzman for gathering together our wonderful readers.

Thank you to our very talented & versatile EMCEE in our Sinulog Cultural Program, Dimple Espenido. Thank you Yhanz Tongco and the Sinulog Liturgical Dancers.

Thank you to the groups who entertained the fiesta goers at during the Cultural Program: The Sinulog NZ Cultural Group; Percy La Madrid; the Kiribati Community; Moise Martinez & Marielle.

Thank you Romy & Fritzi Udanga for the LIKHA NZ for showcasing the Filipino native costumes in a mini fashion show.

To our sound technicians DEXTER YCONG & ALEX ANDALES; our Videographers: Nathan Batucan & David Marsters.

Thank you to our decorator JESS INONCILLO – a new addition to our group of Area Coordinators to cover Central Auckland; to our balloon makers: GRACE JAROLAN & family; Shanelle Simon-Layug & Elsa del Rosario.

Thank you to ALL those who worked behind the scenes. To Annie & Grace Paderanga. I would love to give out all the names but I will not do so in case I miss out anyone. Apologies to those I may have accidentally mentioned. Please accept our sincerest thanks.

Let us journey together for the rest of the year 2023.

We, the devotees of Senor Santo Nino, organize and hold devotional activities throughout the year at St Benedict’s Church, Newton, Auckland.

We organise & hold Wednesday novena-masses at St Benedict’s honouring the Mother of Perpetual Help.

We hold First Friday devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

We hold novena Devotions to Senor Santo every Friday from 6pm

With mass on the 3rd Friday of each month.

Follow our facebook page Sinulog in New Zealand for notification on upcoming events and updates.

Once again, A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL

FROM YOUR Tito Oscar and Tita Miriam.