MANILA: Ahead of the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9, a crowd of around 8,000 churchgoers and devotees gathered at Quiapo Church on Sunday morning (Jan 4), the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 3 reported Sunday.
They were attending the first Sunday Mass of the year, which is also part of the annual Feast of the Black Nazarene celebrations, scheduled from January 7 to 9.
With the church’s hourly Masses underway, the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) noted the continuous increase in foot traffic in the area.
“Today, Sunday, the flow of devotees to the Black Nazarene in Quiapo continues… According to Manila Police District Station 3, as of 10:00 a.m., around 8,000 people are in Quiapo today,” the MDRRMO reported.
The Quiapo Church houses the image of the Black Nazarene, whose feast is celebrated annually with a procession from the Quirino Grandstand back to the church.
The procession reenacts the 1787 Traslacion (“transfer” in Spanish), when the image of Jesus Nazareno was moved from its original shrine in Rizal Park to Quiapo Church. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
