By Leslie Ann Aquino The prayer stations that will be set up along the procession route of the Black Nazarene will have an added feature next year. Alex Irasga, procession command manager, revealed that each of the 14 prayer stations will now have a replica of the blackened Christ. The replicas from their representative barangays or balangays , he said were added so that those who want to venerate the revered image during the Feast of the Black Nazarene will have the opportunity to do so through the replicas. “We want to use that for the ‘pahalik.’ Those replicas were specially blessed by the church so it will have the same effect,” said Irasga. Tens of thousands of faithful line up at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila for the “pahalik” of the centuries-old image of the Nazareno usually held a day before January 9. It was during this year’s “traslacion” when church organizers started setting up the prayer stations. Father Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of Quiapo Church, explained that the purpose of the prayer stations is to help the faithful better reflect and pray. “We are hoping that our sound system will be loud enough for the prayers so that even before the image arrives (at the station), waiting devotees will not just stand idly or chat with each other but instead pray the rosary and sing religious songs,” said Badong at that time. The prayer stations will be set up at the Manila Hotel; National Museum; Pedestrian underpass in P. Burgos cor. Victoria (in front of Manila City Hall); Pedestrian underpass in Liwasang Bonifacio; Escolta Arc; Sta. Cruz Church; Arlegui cor. Quezon Boulevard; Duque de Alba St; Arlegui cor. P. Casal; Canopy of Manuel L. Quezon University; San Sebastian Church; Puyat Cor. Guzman St.; and C. Palanca/Oscariz. Done every January 9, the traslacion or procession commemorates the transfer of the miraculous image from Bagumbayan (Luneta) to Quiapo Church. The Black Nazarene is a life-sized, dark-colored, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ that was brought to Manila by Augustinian priests in 1607. Tradition holds that it got its color after it was burned in a fire that hit the Spanish galleon carrying it.