By Leslie Aquino
This year's Traslacion or procession commemorating the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene from Bagumbayan (old Intramuros) to the Quiapo Church took 22 hours before it arrived at its final destination.
The annual religious activity started at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, January 9, at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
Quiapo Church Parochial Vicar Fr. Douglas Badong said the procession was peaceful and orderly even as he noted the huge number of people in attendance.
Devotees hold onto a rope connected to the carriage carrying the statue of the Black Nazarene during the annual Traslacion in Manila on January 9, 2018.
(AFP PHOTO / Noel CELIS / MANILA BULLETIN) "There was an increase in the number of devotees that is why there was really a huge crowd in the entire route, more especially in the Quiapo area," he said in a separate interview. Many parties and gambling activities within the procession route also contributed to the "slowdown," he added. But overall, Badong said this year's traslacion was orderly and peaceful. Meanwhile, the head of Quiapo Church has expressed his condolences to the family of the man who died during this year's Traslacion of the Black Nazarene. Msgr. Hernando "Ding" Coronel, rector of Quiapo Church, said he will "personally console" with the family of Ramil de la Cruz who died of cardiac arrest while waiting for the Nazareno to pass by the streets of Quiapo. Coronel also thanked all those who helped them organize the annual religious activity. "I am grateful to the collaboration of various government and non-government friends who got together for this huge endeavor of faith," he said. "We attempted the 12 prayer stations this year and this helped in deepening the faith of our devotees," the Quiapo Church rector. For the second year, their social media live streaming reached out especially to Filipinos overseas. "We continue reaching out to millennials, the youth to make the traslacion relevant to them. These days from December 31 to January 10 are all for the Nazareno," Coronel said. After all, he said the traslacion really aims to bring many persons closer to the love of the Nazareno. The Black Nazarene is a life-sized, dark-colored, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ which was brought to Manila by Augustinian priests in 1607. The image was believed to get its color after it was burned in a fire that hit the Spanish galleon carrying it. Read more: One died, more than 450 injured in Traslacion
Devotees hold onto a rope connected to the carriage carrying the statue of the Black Nazarene during the annual Traslacion in Manila on January 9, 2018.(AFP PHOTO / Noel CELIS / MANILA BULLETIN) "There was an increase in the number of devotees that is why there was really a huge crowd in the entire route, more especially in the Quiapo area," he said in a separate interview. Many parties and gambling activities within the procession route also contributed to the "slowdown," he added. But overall, Badong said this year's traslacion was orderly and peaceful. Meanwhile, the head of Quiapo Church has expressed his condolences to the family of the man who died during this year's Traslacion of the Black Nazarene. Msgr. Hernando "Ding" Coronel, rector of Quiapo Church, said he will "personally console" with the family of Ramil de la Cruz who died of cardiac arrest while waiting for the Nazareno to pass by the streets of Quiapo. Coronel also thanked all those who helped them organize the annual religious activity. "I am grateful to the collaboration of various government and non-government friends who got together for this huge endeavor of faith," he said. "We attempted the 12 prayer stations this year and this helped in deepening the faith of our devotees," the Quiapo Church rector. For the second year, their social media live streaming reached out especially to Filipinos overseas. "We continue reaching out to millennials, the youth to make the traslacion relevant to them. These days from December 31 to January 10 are all for the Nazareno," Coronel said. After all, he said the traslacion really aims to bring many persons closer to the love of the Nazareno. The Black Nazarene is a life-sized, dark-colored, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ which was brought to Manila by Augustinian priests in 1607. The image was believed to get its color after it was burned in a fire that hit the Spanish galleon carrying it. Read more: One died, more than 450 injured in Traslacion