MANILA, Philippines — The procession of Jesus Nazareno image started slow from the Quirino Grandstand early Thursday morning.
At 4:41 a.m., the andas or carriage of the life-sized wooden ebony statue of Jesus Christ began moving away from the grandstand, where around 230,000 devotees gathered.
Before the Traslacion, the final mass called Misa Mayor was held. Manila Archbishop Jose Advincula delivered the homily during the Holy Eucharist.
In his homily, Advincula reminded the faithful that their devotion to Jesus Nazareno will be in vain if they would not renounce avarice (extreme greed), their vices, and resist influence of bad people.
“When we hold on to money, bad people, vices, or anything in the world, we will only fail,” the prelate said.
“Only one is truly reliable; only one brings hope that does not fail—the Dear Lord Jesus of Nazareth.”
“Brothers, we have hope because Jesus Nazareno is alive!” he said. “So let’s live in hope of Jesus. Viva Jesus Nazareno!”
After the Misa Mayor, other activities and musical performances were held before the official kickoff of the Traslacion, which first took place between 1767 and 1787, commemorating the transfer of the centuries-old image of the Nazareno from Bagumbayan – the present Rizal Park – to Quiapo Church, formally known as Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno.
Celebrities who are ardent believers of the Nazareno such as Coco Martin, Dimples Romana, and McCoy De Leon also shared their testimonies on how their devotion to the image transformed their lives.
The Jesus Nazareno was in the Quirino Grandstand for the traditional “Pahalik,” where devotees touch or sometimes kiss the image, that started Monday, Jan. 6.
Some devotees opted to skip participating in the Traslacion, which is more physically-demanding since thousands more join it, and would only take part in Pahalik.
Odelino Faraon, 69, is one of them. He used to join the procession annually, but he could no longer do so after suffering from a stroke.
READ: 69-yr-old Nazareno faithful’s dream turns into devotion
Faraon queued for hours in the grandstand on the eve of Traslacion, to fulfill a religious vow which stemmed from a dream.
“It was a dream but it felt real,” Faraon said of his vision of Jesus Nazareno in an interview with INQUIRER.net on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Jesus Nazareno is believed to have miraculous powers, and millions are expected to join the procession for a chance to touch the image or even just the rope that pulls its carriage to seek blessing, protection, and good health.
Jenny Carpio, 37, swears by the miracle of the Jesus Nazareno, saying the healing powers of the image made her nine-year old daughter’s asthma become more manageable.
“She used to be at the hospital all the time, but now she is no longer being admitted,” Carpio told INQUIRER.net after attending the “Pahalik” on Wednesday.
“We will return here until she grows up,” she said.
READ: Nun treats Nazareno devotees to champurrado, fast-food sandwiches
Jenny, a logistics officer from Bulacan, is also seven months pregnant and is asking Jesus Nazareno to grant her normal delivery.
She was clad with a maroon vest and carrying a True Cross, an image that depicts Jesus Christ while en route to the Calvary or Golgotha where He was crucified.
Traslacion, which literally means “solemn transfer,” used to have the original image of Jesus Nazareno that was carved from mesquite wood by an unknown sculptor and brought from Mexico to Manila on May 31, 1606.
But the image was partially destroyed in 1945 during the battle for Manila in the Second World War.
In 2024, around 6.5 million believers joined the Traslacion that lasted for 15 hours.