The Sinulog Festival in Berlin
Filipino communities in Berlin celebrated the Feast of the Sto. Niño with the Sinulog
February 11th, 2025
On January 19, members of Berlin's Filipino community met at the Parish of the Holy Spirit in Bayernallee to celebrate Sinulog. Fr. Simon Boisier, SVD, the priest of the Filipino Catholic Community, presided over the mass, which was also attended by Praelat Dr. Stefan Dybowski, SVD, Fr. Waldemar Weniger, SVD, and Fr. Jeremie Sousou.
In her message, Ambassador Irene Susan Barreiro Natividad cited Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle's reflections, which stated that the image of Sto. Nino represents hope for many devotees - hope for joy in times of sadness; hope for relief and recovery in the midst of suffering and pain; hope for light when we are in darkness; and hope for understanding and acceptance in the midst of anger and rejection. "I join the community in offering prayers and thankfulness to Senor Sto Nino. "Let us bring our hopes and prayers to the Child Jesus as a community, and thank Him for the blessings we have received," she urged.
The speech featured a brief history of how the Sto Nino picture arrived in the Philippines and how the Christian faith was spread to the islands. This was followed by a blessing of the Child's pictures, as well as dances with participants dressed in colourful costumes, who were subsequently joined by devotees bearing Sto Nino statues as they danced to the beat of drums while singing praise and thankfulness to the Child Jesus. The celebrations finished with the traditional salo-salo among village residents and church guests.
