Home Our Diocese ‘Honoring and adoring our Santo Nino’ — Bishop-designate Efren Esmilla celebrates bilingual...

‘Honoring and adoring our Santo Nino’ — Bishop-designate Efren Esmilla celebrates bilingual Filipino Mass in Wilmington — Photo gallery

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Congregants process to the altar with statues of the Holy Child Jesus during the English-Filipino Bilingual Mass to celebrate Santo Niño at St. Elizabeth Church, Sunday, Jan. 21. Santo Niño (or Holy Child Jesus) is a symbol of the birth of Catholicism in the Philippines more than 500 years ago. Dialog photo/Don Blake
 
 
 

Bishop-designate Efren Esmilla, soon-to-be auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, celebrated the monthly bilingual Mass at St. Elizabeth Church in Wilmington Jan. 21.

The annual feast honoring Santo Niño called “Sinulog” is celebrated on the third Sunday in January in the Philippines. It is a special day for Filipino Catholics and includes a religious image of the Christ child widely venerated as miraculous.

The Mass included music from the Filipino choir, which was led for more than 30 years by local parishioner Norma Abrenica.

 

The episcopal ordination for Bishop-designate Esmilla and two other new auxiliary bishops in Philadelphia is set for March 7 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Archbishop Nelson Pérez will be the principal consecrator.

The bishop-designate said he hopes to continue his monthly commitment in Wilmington.