Devotee takes great-grandchildren to Nazarene feast for good health

MANILA, Philippines — Children are often seen riding carts alongside replicas of the Black Nazarene every Traslacion — the parade of Christ’s image through the streets of Manila — but what could be the reason behind this?

When asked, several devotees answered that placing their kids atop the carts does not bear any special meaning for them. It’s just that the young ones are much lighter and more suited for catching other enthusiasts’ towels, wiping them on their replicas, and throwing the towels back to the crowd.

But this is not the case for Felicisimo Bonzo, the 65-year-old leader of the Balic Balic-Holy Trinity chapter, who has allowed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to ride alongside their Nazarene replica for years now.

“This is our vow to make our lives comfortable, and even though we don’t have money, we want to make sure that the kids will be healthy,” Bonzo told INQUIRER.net in Filipino.

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He said he became a devotee at 18 and wanted to pass on to his grandchildren the legacy of his father and older brother — who were the previous leaders of their chapter, which consists primarily of their relatives.

Every January 9, the Black Nazarene image undergoes Traslacion, commemorating its first parade in 1767.

Bonzo was among the thousands of devotees who joined the procession and had their replicas blessed.

Based on the latest estimate, the Quiapo Church Command Post said 6.5 million devotees joined this year’s activity after it was suspended for three consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Black Nazarene carriage departed from Quirino Grandstand at around 4:45 a.m. today and arrived at the Quiapo Church at 7:45 p.m.