Despite rains, devotees flock to attend Black Nazarene procession

Manila (Google maps)

The rainy weather did not deter thousands of Filipino faithful from joining the Black Nazarene thanksgiving procession Monday.

The thanksgiving procession started around 12 midnight from Plaza Miranda fronting Quiapo Church.

Based on police estimates, around 70,000 devotees, mostly barefoot, joined the procession around the vicinity of church.

Towel-waving devotees pushed and shoved in attempts to get near the carriage bearing the icon of the Black Nazarene, which they believe performs miracles.

But the number of devotees got fewer as the procession came to end around 10 a.m.

Despite the huge crowd, Msgr. Hernando “Ding” Coronel, rector of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church), noted that the procession was more prayerful and orderly.

“We tried to make the thanksgiving procession more solemn at the beginning and the conclusion was more prayerful and orderly,” he said.

He added that he noticed more millennials joined this year’s celebration.

“This is a positive sign since 2019 is the Year of the Youth,” he said, adding that he was most happy at the collaboration of different sectors of society to give worship to the Black Nazarene.

Coronel explained that the procession is being done at the end of the year to “give thanks to God.”

The Black Nazarene will be taken out again of Quiapo Church on Jan. 9 for the anniversary of the Traslacion, which commemorates the transfer of the image of the Suffering Jesus from Intramuros to its present shrine. /jpv