The Feast of the Black Nazarene picture of Jesus Christ, believed to be miraculous by Catholics, drew round 523,000 devotees on Monday, the Quiapo command heart of the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.
The police mentioned that as of 5 p.m., there have been 401,500 devotees in Quiapo Church, whereas one other 122,630 have been gathered in Quirino Grandstand.
The Feast of the Black Nazarene attracts the biggest flock of Catholics in a single setting, however the annual veneration has been muted for the third straight 12 months attributable to cancellation of Traslacion, the procession of the picture, attributable to COVID-19.
Instead, the devotees have been solely allowed to listen to mass and take part in different associated prayer and worship actions in Quiapo and the Quirino Grandstand.
At least 4 people needed to be handled attributable to headache and dizziness, based on the police.
The police additionally reported 29 individuals who needed to be attended for prime blood and low blood stress.
Naga
In Naga City, Camarines Sur, 1000’s of devotees joined the procession which began from the Holy Cross Parish in Barangay Tabuco to Plaza Quezon.
Replicas of the Black Nazarene have been blessed upon their arrival on the plaza the place the annual Padasal (prayers) was additionally performed.
Organizers resumed the Traslacion however opted to not reinstate the “pahalik” (kissing of the statues) to curb the unfold of the coronavirus. Participants have been as a substitute given particular person cotton balls which they will use to the touch the duplicate of the Black Nazarene, based on Jessica Calinog’s report on “BaliTanghali.”
A 12 noon pontifical mass was held at the plaza. The image of the Black Nazarene was returned to the Holy Cross Parish in the afternoon.
Successful
At around noon, Quiapo Church spokesperson Fr. Earl Allyson Valdez said the ongoing Feast of the Black Nazarene has been successful so far, with no untoward incidents recorded.
“Lahat po, lalung-lalo na ‘yung ating mga kaganapan sa Quirino Grandstand, sa Simbahan ng Quiapo simula pa nung ika-7 ng Enero, ay successful. Masasabi po namin na naabot natin ang layunin natin na magkaroon ng makabuluhan at ligtas na pagdiriwang para sa ating mga deboto,” he said in an interview on Dobol B TV.
“Wala tayong na-report na security threats. Wala tayong na-report na untoward incidents na nakagulo sa mga pagdiriwang. Kaya sa kabuuan, kami ay natutuwang sabihin sa inyo na naging matagumpay po ang ating Nazareno 2023,” he added.
Walk of faith
An estimated 88,000 devotees attended the first ever Walk of Faith in Manila before dawn on Sunday as part of the activities of the Feast of the Black Nazarene, according to the Quiapo Church Command Post.
The walk started from the Quirino Grandstand at Luneta Park at 1:30 a.m. then finished after two and a half hours upon arrival at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, more popularly known as Quiapo Church.
The Walk of Faith was held instead of the traditional Traslacion long procession bearing the image of the Black Nazarene in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Traslacion, held annually to commemorate the transfer of the Black Nazarene replica from Intramuros to the Quiapo Church back in 1767, and participated in by as much as 3 million devotees, has been canceled since 2020 due to the pandemic.
Last mass
Meanwhile, the last mass for the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene started at Quiapo Church at 11 p.m., a report on “Saksi” mentioned.
Devotees should still enter the church to hope after the mass as organizers anticipate extra folks would wish to go to the picture after work.
Latest information from the Quiapo Church operation heart confirmed round 538,400 people participated on this 12 months’s celebration.
Church personnel and volunteers proceed to man the world to make sure order and cleanliness are maintained.—With Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News
