The destruction of the left altar of the Sto. Niño Church

In 1975, the left altar of the Sto. Niño Church was destroyed upon orders of a Spanish priest. This is a narration by Prof. Lina Quimat in her book, “Glimpses in History of Early Cebu” published two years after the construction:

“For instance, the headstrong Spanish priest at the Santo Niño Church and Convent in Cebu never heeded the request of the Cebu Historical Society not to destroy the left altar of the Santo Niño Church. Through sheer smartness over the weakness of some government officials, this Spanish priest went through his project. Furthermore, in order to hurt the members of the Cebu Historical Society, he drove away all those who perform “the sinuog” before the image of the Child Jesus which is already an established custom of the devotees of the Child Jesus. He never heeded the advices of his friends that the “sinuog” is a petition prayer “taught” by the Image of Child Jesus himself. Instead, the more this priest proudly showed his influence and his air of being “untouchable”. But during the procession of the image of Child Jesus during the Santo Niño Fiesta Celebration in 1979, the priest participated in the procession and when he reached the door of the Church, he collapsed and was in coma for months. All the devotees of the Child Jesus were expecting “a punishment” for this priest because of his high-handedness and everybody believed it came that way- in lighting speed from a strong healthy individual to a helpless half-dead man, just in a matter of split-seconds and in the presence of thousands of devotees.”

Professor Quimat further gave us additional facts “The original church of the Image of the Holy Child since Legazpi’s time was to place the miraculous image on the principal altar. There were two side altars made in this Church. Until, today, the Santo Niño Church has still the original principal altar.

“The historicity of the Church and Convent of Santo Niño was marked more vividly when it was made among the country’s National Shrines through a Presidential Decree. Even this fact seems to be unknown to the Confradia.”

The Brotherhood of the Most Blessed Named of Jesus was formed by Legazpi later called as the “Confradia del Santo Niño Jesus”. This makes the “Confradia” the oldest religious lay organization in the country.