Black Nazarene finally back inside Quiapo Church

MANILA, Philippines—After 22 hours, the Black Nazarene returned to its home at the Quiapo Church.

FACE OF THE BLACK NAZARENE A devotee touches the hand of the Black Nazarene inside Quiapo Church in Manila. Millions of devotees joined the procession of the Black Nazarene, a life-size wooden statue of Jesus Christ carved in Mexico and brought to the Philippines in the 17th century. RAFFY LERMA

The longest procession in the history of the feast of the Black Nazarene ended at around 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Complaints of devotees, driven to wait for several hours, were forgotten as the mulatto Christ was steered into Plaza Miranda at around 5:10 a.m. They started throwing towels and towelettes to the marshals atop the carriage as the procession stopped at the minor basilica’s doors.

A Mass will be held to conclude the religious event.

The procession left exhausted devotees on its wake as people who had kept vigil found their beds on sidewalks and elevated steps along the long traditional route.

The Black Nazarene’s return  could have been cut short at 10 p.m. Monday had devotees agreed to allow the main carriage to go through Villalobos Street from Carlos Palanca Street as the float descended Mac Arthur Bridge.

The Black Nazarene procession, which began at around 8 a.m. Monday, was delayed for several hours when the carriage bearing the image was stalled because its wheels broke.

Originally posted at 06:12 am | Tuesday, January 10, 2012