Nazarene devotees around Quiapo swell to 100,000 before noon

Devotees wait outside the Quiapo Church for the return of the Black Nazarene during Traslacion 2019 on Jan. 9, 2019. INQUIRER.NET / FAYE ORELLANA

MANILA, Philippines – More than 100,000 devotees of the Black Nazarene flocked to Quiapo Church before noon on Wednesday to wait for the return of the sacred image at the end of Traslacion 2019.

Police estimated the crowd around the church at about 105,000 as of 11 a.m.

Men and women wearing Nazarene-themed shirts trooped to the church to hear the hourly mass.

Meanwhile, police said that nearly 2,000 enforcers were deployed in Quiapo Church to secure the public.

With the large number of devotees, vendors of Black Nazarene souvenirs took the opportunity to do business in the vicinity of the Catholic church despite appeals and efforts to keep them away.

Souvenirs such as towels, t-shirts, and Black Nazarene replicas were among the items sold. /cbb