Moveable feast: Why Nazarene procession held a day early

YEAR-END DEVOTION Thursday’s “thanksgiving procession” for the Black Nazarene of Quiapo makes its way through Recto Avenue. RAFFY LERMA

Invoking respect for church worship and safety concerns, church leaders on Thursday broke tradition and moved the Black Nazarene thanksgiving procession in Quiapo, Manila, to Dec. 31 instead of Jan. 1.

Manila Police District director chief superintendent Rolando Nana said worshippers would usually join the procession drunk and wasted from the New Year revelry.

“The crowds usually turned rowdy and were hard   to control. At the same time, the streets were littered with glass shards and firecracker residue, which often injured devotees,” Nana said.

Nana said the changes were noticeable on Thursday as the procession did not take long.

At least 15,000 people waited for the statue to be wheeled out of the church, said Plaza Miranda police precinct head Chief Inspector John Guiagui.

Smaller crowd

But as expected, because of the change in the date, the number immediately dropped to 1,500 because many were rushing home to get ready to welcome the new year.

Guiagui said there were no glass shards on the streets, and the devotees were mostly sober, resulting in a small number of injuries.

“We have about 55 cases, including those who passed out and felt dizzy during the procession,” he said.

Nana and Guiagui said this was the “first time” in Quiapo church history that the date was moved.

Guiagui added that the idea came from Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, which the barangay and the police agreed to implement.

Prelude

The thanksgiving procession is seen as a prelude to the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9.

It was usually held every Jan. 1, the beginning of the year marking the first day of the Novena to the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno (Black Nazarene) whose image is transferred every Jan. 9 from Rizal Park to Quiapo to commemorate the “Traslacion” or the image’s transfer from Bagumbayan (Rizal Park) to Quiapo over 400 years ago.

The bigger “Traslacion” procession always gathers huge crowds and takes longer.

The replica image of the revered image of Christ returned to Quiapo Church at a little past noon on Thursday.

During the procession, devotees wiped towels on the dark-wood image of Christ, believing that the Nazarene’s healing power would rub off on them.

Many of them said they join the procession every year as a devotion to the Black Nazarene.

Others say they do so to atone for their sins, raise petitions for heavenly favors or just to give thanks for answered prayers.

Meanwhile, church leaders and environmentalists urged devotees to support a “garbage-free fiesta” on Jan. 9.

Leaders of communities surrounding Quiapo Church and environmentalists asked devotees and visitors who will come to Quiapo during the Translacion not to leave any garbage behind as they pay their respects to the Black Nazarene and seek His guidance and blessing.