INITIAL RITES Black Nazarene devotees have started flocking to Quiapo Church in Manila to have their icons—and themselves—blessed ahead of the annual mammoth procession known as “traslacion” on Jan. 9, where about 14,000 police officers are being mobilized for security. Photo taken on Friday. —Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines — Nazareno 2025 will mark the religious festival’s first celebration since it was declared a “national feast” to be observed in all dioceses across the country, according to the rector of Quiapo Church.
Last September, during the Diocesan Directors of Liturgy of the Philippines meeting, it was announced that the Feast of the Black Nazarene (also called the Feast of Jesus Nazarene) was now a “national feast” to be celebrated every January 9 in all dioceses across the country.
“Makasaysayan ang ating piyesta sa taong ito sapagkat sa unang pagkakataon, ito ay hindi na lang piyesta ng Quiapo o ng Maynila, kundi ng buong Pilipinas sa Simbahan. We call it a liturgical feast,” Church Rector and Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Jun Sescon told reporters in a briefing at the Nazarene Catholic School on Friday.
(This year’s feast is historic because for the first time, this is not just the feast of Quiapo or Manila but of the entire Philippines in the Church. We call it a liturgical feast.)
The status was the result of a proposal by the Manila archdiocese to the Vatican to declare Quiapo Church as a national shrine and the Feast of the Black Nazarene as a national feast, approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in July 2023.
Sescon explained, “[S]a bawat diocese, sa bawat parokya, ito ay kanilang ipagdiriwang.”
(This will be celebrated in every diocese, in every parish.)
“Bagamat laganap na at natutuwa tayo dahil para sa mga hindi makakapunta sa Quiapo, magkakaroon sila ng local celebration, naghahanda pa rin tayo sa pagdagsa, pagpunta ng mga deboto,” he added. “Para sa karamihan, wala pa ring makakapalit sa pagpunta sa Dambana ng Poong Nazareno sa Quiapo.”
(Though it will be widespread and we are happy because for those who won’t be able to go to Quiapo, they will have their own local celebration, we’re still preparing for the influx of devotees. For many, nothing can replace personally going to the Shrine of Jesus Nazarene in Quiapo.)
Over 6.5 million devotees flocked to the feast celebration in 2024.
READ: Nazareno 2025: Full deployment, gun ban, road closures on Jan. 8 – MPD
Expecting the same influx of Catholic faithful this year, authorities are deploying over 14,000 personnel as well as implementing a gun ban, a liquor ban and road closures in the City of Manila for security.
READ: Quiapo Church releases schedule for Nazareno 2025 activities
Later on Friday, Malacañang declared January 9 a special non-working holiday in Manila to ensure the orderly procession of devotees and to facilitate the traffic flow.
READ: Nazareno feast: January 9 is special non-working day in Manila
The 2025 feast is themed “Mas mabuti ang pagsunod kaysa paghahandog (1 Sam. 15:22) sa mga umaasa kay Jesus.”
(It is better to obey than to sacrifice for those who hope in Jesus. 1 Sam. 15:22.)