Devotees’ Testimonies of Faith of Señor Santo Niño De Cebu

This study unveiled the life experiences of the Catholic devotees with the miraculous Señor Santo Niño de Cebu. This aimed to: describe the key informant’s narratives of faith; extrapolate themes on their narratives; and intrapolate scriptural texts with the extrapolated themes on faith. Key informants narrated their beliefs and themes of faith were extrapolated. Interview and thematic analysis were used in an exploratory narrative inquiry. To protect the integrity of the generated data from interview, bracketing was used to separate the researchers’ personal biases. Verbatim accounts of key informants were held confidentially using the required ethics protocol. Cebu, being the root of Catholicism in the Philippines created the devotees’ religious landscape of faith. The undying faith of the Cebuano devotees to Señor Santo Niño, though marked with criticisms and issues based on scriptural interpretations by other religious denominations; but faith was tested and strengthened by their direct or indirect experiences. Using prayers, miracles of healing surpassed human tribulations and communed with the ambit of a mystical God. As the devotees danced the Sinulog, a unifying force bound the faithful to be solidified in the spirit of grace and abundant blessings that without the Señor Santo Niño, everything in Cebu is permissible. Despite Biblical and religious interpretations and contradictions, the worship of the Señor Santo Niño would not fade unceasingly. Its faith catapulted the devotees to become better individuals and strengthened their relationship to God. After all, it is not about religion, it is about faith.

Keywords: Roman Catholicism, Señor Santo Niño, Sinulog Festival, faith and devotion