Nazareno 2024: Faith that survived COVID’s darkest days keeps giving

MANILA, Philippines—The traslacion of the 400-year-old image of the Black Nazarene was finally held after a three-year break, but more than the sea of people that often leave the world in awe, what took center stage for some devotees was the faith in Jesus that helped people survive the darkest days of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Oo, ibig naming makita si Hesus para magpasalamat (Yes, we want to see and thank Jesus),” 51-year-old Wison Barigua told INQUIRER.net as he and his family walked through Quezon Boulevard after having a glimpse of the image and its andas, or carriage, passing by J.P. de Guzman Street at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

This year’s traslacion, or the transfer of the Black Nazarene image from Luneta, to Quiapo, had the theme “Ibig po naming makita si Hesus (Juan 12:21),” and for Barigua, this was the most fitting for the celebration because after three years, “millions really want to see the Señor (Black Nazarene).”

He said he and his family arrived at the Quirino Grandstand from Balagtas, Bulacan at 5 a.m., a few minutes before the start of the procession, which lasted for 14 hours and 59 minutes. The traslacion, which drew a crowd of 6.5 million, is regarded as one of the world’s biggest displays of religiosity.

READ: Black Nazarene returns to Quiapo Church

The local government of Manila initially expected two million people to take part in the traslacion, which, the Quiapo Church said, should always be “solemn, safe, and orderly.” The tradition started in 1767 when the image of the Black Nazarene was transferred to Quiapo from a church of the Recoletos in Intramuros.

READ: Triple the expected number: Over 6.5-M devotees join Nazarene procession

Barigua said their ordeal in the traslacion was not enough to thank Jesus for helping people survive the darkest days of the COVID-19 crisis, especially when his mother in Mindanao died because of the virus. “Hindi rin ako nakadalaw kasi nag-positive rin ako (I was not able to visit because I got sick, too).”

“‘Yan ang pinakamalaking pagsubok sa buhay namin noon at tanging ang Señor lang ang aming kinapitan (That was the toughest challenge back then and it was the Señor that we have held on so tight to),” he said, noting that in the past three years, their prayers to the Black Nazarene, which is a representation of Jesus on his way to Calvary, had saved them.

According to data from the Department of Health, 66,864 people died of COVID-19 from 2020 to Jan. 8, 2024, while 4 million had contracted the disease, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The infectious disease, which can be severe, has taken the lives of millions of people all over the world, especially in 2020 and 2021.

Living with the poor

Every year, the image of the Black Nazarene is brought out for the traslacion, but only its torso is from the original image that was given to a Recollect priest, who brought it to Manila in 1606. The image is a dark portrayal of Jesus kneeling on one knee and carrying a large cross from Mexico.

As explained by Rev. Fr. Rufino Sescon, rector of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, since the 1990s, the original torso of the image has been used in the procession, with a replica head and hands. The original head is on the altar of the Quiapo Church, while the original hands are in storage since they’re already damaged.

READ: Black Nazarene devotees urged to keep ‘Traslacion’ orderly

“Since it is already very old, we cannot predict what could happen,” he said.

But for 27-year-old Paul Anthony Ragoncon, who has been taking part in the traslacion since he was 16, no matter where the image of the Black Nazarene is, he is certain that Jesus will always be there, especially for the poor.

“Noong panahon ng lockdowns dahil sa COVID-19, hirap talaga kami sa pera, kahit sa trabaho (When lockdowns were implemented because of COVID-19, we really experienced financial difficulties, even with our work),” said Ragoncon, a father to two children. He and his family were from Navotas and walked from Divisoria to Quiapo for the traslacion.

READ: 6.5 million Catholics join Black Nazarene procession

Financial difficulty during the COVID-19 crisis is mirrored by data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Household Final Consumption Expenditure report, which shows expenses incurred by households on goods and services. At the start of the COVID crisis in 2020, it was valued at P12.9 million in constant 2018 prices. In 2021, it was P13.46 million and P14.57 million in 2022.

The economy, as measured by gross domestic product, contracted by 8.3 percent in the last quarter of 2020, bringing full-year growth to -9.5 percent. Joblessness in 2020 was at 16.2 percent, the PSA said, while 48 percent felt “poor” in the last few months of 2020, according to data from the Social Weather Stations.

“Bilang isang glass installer, kumikita lang ako noon ng kaunti, at pinagkakasya lang namin ang P150 kada araw. Kaya nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa Itim na Nazareno kasi tinulungan niya kaming makalampas sa lahat ng pagsubok. Nagkatrabaho rin, kahit papaano ang misis ko noon,” Ragoncon told INQUIRER.net.

(As a glass installer, my income was really so meager back then, and we were only making do with only P150 a day. That is why I am really grateful to the Black Nazarene for helping us get through all the challenges. Even my wife had a temporary job).

Resolute in faith

For 36-year-old Jennifer Napo of Caloocan, who arrived at 5 a.m. for the traslacion, her commitment to the Black Nazarene didn’t waver even when COVID was wreaking havoc. In the three years without traslacion, she said she felt the presence of Señor in her struggle as a single parent to two children.

“Masaya, masayang-masaya kasi bumalik na siya (I am so glad now that the traslacion has come back,” she said as tears fell from her eyes while kissing a Black Nazarene handkerchief she was hoping to bring close to the image.

READ: Traslacion 2024: Youthful tales of unwavering faith

“Sobrang salamat sa Kaniya (I thank Him a lot),” Napo said, stressing the significance of traslacion to her and her nine-year devotion to the iconic image.

This was shared by Mary Grace Albao of Sampaloc, who said that she has always been resolute in her faith and, in this year’s traslacion, was firm in her faith that Señor will hear her prayers for her sick father and for her family to survive financial difficulty.

According to the Philippine National Police, this year’s traslacion was “generally peaceful.” Over 30 Masses had been celebrated at the Quiapo Church from 3 p.m. of Jan. 8 until 11 p.m. of Jan. 9, while the Misa Mayor was celebrated by Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula at the Quirino Grandstand at midnight of Jan. 9.

“Let us strive to see Jesus, have Jesus see us, and show Jesus,” Advincula said.

READ: Seeking luck, miracles, redemption: 6M flock to Nazarene