The Santo Niño Parish Church in Tacloban City will be elevated to an archdiocesan shrine during rites to be held next month.
The parish on Oct. 10 announced that Archbishop John Du has approved the petition to raise the parish to an archdiocesan shrine status.
“The bishop has already given his positive response and we are just waiting for the issuance of the decree,” said its parish priest Fr. Kelvin Apurillo.
The parish made the petition to make the church as a pilgrim site “for those who want to experience not only physical healing, but also spiritual healing”.
“We want to make our church as a place where people can experience the mercy and compassion of God,” said Msgr. Erlito Maraya, parish priest moderator.
According to the parish, the archdiocesan shrine is envisioned as a place where people can encounter “the boundless and unconditional love of God”.
The archdiocese has set November 1 for the canonical establishment of the archdiocesan shrine.
Prior to the said date, a motorcade carrying the image of the revered image of the Sto. Niño will go around the city on Oct. 15 and 16.
The image will also visit various parishes in the archdiocese: Oct. 20 in Palo and Carigara; Oct. 21 in Abuyog and Burauen; and on Oct. 22 in Palompon and Ormoc City.
