Divino Niño
The Divino Niño, also known as Divino Niño de Bogotá or Divine Child Jesus, is a 20th-century religious wooden statue of the child Jesus originating from Bogota, Colombia. A cross originally in the back was removed upon purchase by Father Giovanni Rizzo. The 17-centimeter high statue with arms stretched out wide and wearing a traditional pink robe or tunic has an inscription "Yo reinaré" ("I will reign") at its base. It is one of the most popular religious images in Colombia, especially among Roman Catholics and it is claimed to have miraculous powers of fertility and healing. History The statue's image and religious devotion began with a Salesian priest named Father Giovanni Rizzo (Anglicized: John Rizzo), from Arenzano, Italy. His bishop once assigned him to an impoverished town or barrio in Bogotá, Colombia. In 1914, Rizzo and his Salesian priestly companions were building a new church in Barranquilla, Colombia. With limited financial resources, Rizzo is believed to have had a mystical vision of the child Jesus in a standing posture while beckoning out his arms. The boy in the vision spoke "Take me with you, I want to accompany you." The statue In 1942, after years of finishing church construction,