Message of Thanks

DAGHANG SALAMAT SENOR SANTO NINO.

HAPPY FIESTA! PIT SENYOR!!!

9-days Novena-Masses and Fiesta of Senor Santo Nino in New Zealand 2021 celebrated with very grateful hearts. A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL GENEROUS AND KIND HEARTS!!!

Thank You Bishop Michael Gielen – Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland for your warm presence at the Santo Nino Fiesta 2021. Fr Mario Dorado – Chaplain to the Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy.Fr Sherwin Lapaan, Parish Priest St Mark’s Parish, Pakuranga.Fr Carlo Cruz – Assisting priest at St Joseph’s Takapuna

Priests who presided during the 9-days novena masses:Mons Bernard Kiely; Fr Mario Dorado; Fr Larry Rustia; Fr Gilbert Ramos; Fr Sherwin Lapaan; Fr Sam Pulanco; Fr Carlo Cruz; Fr Carlos Guleng; Fr Rodney Smythe.

First and foremost, I would like to thank God for another milestone in our journey of faith in this beautiful land of Aotearoa, New Zealand. 27 years of holding annual devotions to Senor Santo Nino here in Auckland. 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. 2020 has been a difficult year for all of us but it never stopped us from practicing our faith because of the presence of virtual masses and, virtual prayer meetings.

We thank all our Kababayans, our countrymen, who extended a helping hand to those who struggled during these times of need. Yes, news of this unprecedented global health crises may have shaken us. We faced so many uncertainties. But as the song goes, “WALK WITH FAITH IN YOUR HEART”. “WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, BUT WE KNOW WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE.”

On behalf of our co-organizers and trustees, we would like to Thank Bishop Pat Dunn for guiding us and supporting us in our devotional activities through the years. Very special thanks to Bishop Michael Gielen for taking time to celebrate mass and be with us today. 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 fear of Covid 19 and the anxiety of when we will be able to get the vaccine. 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 the Mass Today: Ministers of Word and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion, altar servers, families who brought offertory gifts. Fiesta choir: The awesome HUNI (Holy Cross Papatoetoe Filipino choir) 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 27 years.

To our Patrons for the fiesta:Mr & Mrs Rex & Joan Yap of NZ Home Loans; Florencio & Serinia Caupit; Ramon & Nympha Marinas; Judith Hastings & Family; AS Juinio & Family; Rexy & Boyet Jose & Family; The Flores Family. To all our Patrons all thru the 9-days Novena-masses – 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.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 Bert & Eva Ricacho for gathering together our wonderful readers. Thank you Diane Edmonds and the Sinulog Liturgical Dancers; Thank you Ron Bate & Ching Madawe and Katilingbang Bisaya sa NZ (KBNZ) as well as Samutsari for your Sinulog dance Performances choreographed by Trini Maddisson and to the Youth Hiphop dancers. Thank you to ALL those who worked behind the scenes. I would love to give out names but I will not do that in case I miss out anyone. Please accept our sincere thanks. Together let us journey with Jesus and Mother Mary for the rest of the year 2021. We, the devotees of Senor Santo Nino, organize and hold devotional activities throughout the year at St Benedict’s Church, Newton, Auckland. We organise 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 from 7PM.

This year, we will start live streaming our 3rd Friday Novena- masses to Senor Santo Nino. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel, Sinulog NZ, to get notification of our live masses and events. FOLLOW our Facebook page Sinulog in New Zealand for notification on upcoming events and updates.Visit our website: www.santo-nino.org Once again, A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL.

By God’s grace, see you in Jan 2022 for our 500 years celebration of Christianity in the Philippines, hopefully back at EventFindA Stadium.

Sir Oscar Batucan KSS and Dame Miriam Batucan DSS