Joyful Filipino Catholics celebrate Santo Niño in Dublin

Joyful Filipino Catholics celebrate Santo Niño in Dublin The Santo Niño statue is carried to the front of the Church. Photo: Chai Brady

The Filipino Catholic community gathered in St Joseph’s Church on Berkeley Road in Dublin for the feast of Santo Niño on Sunday.

The feast is extremely popular in the Philippines and draws crowds of millions every year.

The Santo Niño de Cebu is an icon of the Child Jesus. It was given by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Cebu’s Queen Juana in 1521. For Filipinos, it is a symbol of Christianity’s arrival in the country 500 years ago.