There was feasting, singing and dancing, as well as some special guests, when the Sto Nino Sinulog Fiesta was held in Bathurst on Sunday.
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It was the ninth year of the local fiesta, when all the Filipino groups and communities in Bathurst and the Central West gather in unity for a common purpose.
This year they were joined by visitors from as far as Sydney, including Consul Marford Angeles and his wife Joan, to celebrate the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines, through the adoration of the icon of Sto Nino, The Holy infant Jesus, brought by the Spanish and miraculously preserved in the city of Cebu, according to organising spokeswoman Nenita Weekes.
It was a great celebration.
The event began with a parade of Sto Nino icons around the precincts of St Michael and St John's Cathedral, followed by a mass, presided over by Father Joseph Dooley, which included readings in a number of Filipino languages.
The traditional Sinulog celebration took place in the Parish Hall.
“There are many sectors of Filipino society, but on Sunday Filipinos stood, danced and sang together in an impressive display of unification,” Ms Weekes said.
“It was a great celebration made possible by co-operation between the Cathedral, Couples for Christ and Filipina Friends, the Philippines Consulate, and support from all sponsors and entertainer Ashley Toreno.”