For the third-year running, St Luke’s Parish in Sydney’s south-west has welcomed the community to celebrate Señor Santo Niño de Cebu, the Holy Child Jesus, on 18 January with a 10am Mass followed by a fiesta.
The statue has become a focal point for devotion, uniting parishioners and bringing a centuries-old Filipino tradition to Revesby.
Parish priest Fr Dariusz Basiaga SDS reflected on the inspiration behind bringing the statue to the parish.
“In January 2014, I made my first pilgrimage to Cebu and witnessed the magnificent celebration of Señor Santo Niño,” he said.
“The energy and devotion of the community deeply moved me that it inspired me to bring that same spirit of faith and unity back to our parish.
“We now celebrate every third Sunday of January, with the image of the Child Jesus reminding us to approach God with childlike faith and trust.”
The devotion dates back to 1521, when Spanish explorers gave a statue of the Holy Child Jesus to Queen Juana of Cebu, sparking a tradition still cherished by Filipinos today.
After a second pilgrimage to Cebu in April 2023, Fr Basiaga established the Señor Santo Niño community at St Luke’s, bringing together Filipino and other parishioners in shared devotion.
On 21 January 2024, Bishop Terence Brady blessed and installed the statue during the parish’s inaugural feast day and fiesta.
During his homily, he said “it is important we take every opportunity to keep our doors open very wide to allow others into our community”.
“If I knew I could go somewhere where I felt that real impact of love, I would go back, and back, and back.
“We should ask the Lord to give us all the energy to be his disciples, evangelise and share the good news of Jesus to others, because people in our world are really searching.”
