Quiapo Church starts novena for Black Nazarene

MANILA, Philippines — Novena and prayer Masses will be held starting New Year’s Eve to Jan. 8 to prepare for the annual feast of the Black Nazarene icon.

Novena prayers will be held every 11:15 a.m. and Masses at noon. Masses at Quiapo Church will be at 12:15 p.m. and will be open to the public and live-streamed on Quiapo Church’s official Facebook and Youtube accounts as well as that of the Archdiocese of Manila’s Office of Communications.

The feast of the Nazarene will push through but not the procession of the life-size image of the Black Nazarene from Luneta to Quiapo, which usually runs up to over 18 hours, said priest Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene.

—Jodee A. Agoncillo