At his lowest moment—caught between pain and prayer—Fr. Leonilo Avenido Dagpin Jr., fondly known as Father Dags, found himself questioning God.
Fresh from celebrating one Mass and on his way to the next, he had been careful. Yet after an accident abruptly altered his path, doubt crept into his prayers.
“Gikan ko nag-Misa ug padulong sa sunod Misa, ug nag-amping ko. Maong nakapangutana ko, ‘Nganong ako, Ginoo?!’” Father Dags recalled.
It was a question born not of anger, but of wounded faith—a cry many believers whisper in moments of confusion and loss.
What followed was a descent into rockbottom, a season marked by sadness and depression. But in that darkness, Father Dags encountered a presence gentle yet powerful: the miraculous Child Sto. Niño.
There, in the quiet aftermath of suffering, he felt God’s love take hold of his broken spirit.
“Giwala Niya akong kaguol. Giayo ko Niya,” he shared. “Kay gipabati Niya nako nga sa panahon sa pinakasakit nga problema, naa Siya. Ug dili lang naa—gitagaan ko Niya ug mas lig-on nga pagsalig ug kusog nga mopadayon sa unahan.”
The pain did not vanish overnight, but it was transformed. What replaced it was healing, renewed faith, and a strength deeper than before.
In moments of weariness and loneliness, Father Dags’ story stands as a reminder: even in our most painful questions, God remains present. And in the small yet mighty arms of the Holy Child, there is a love that heals, restores, and never fails.