The Feast of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno de Quiapo

(Image courtesy of Sunstar.com.ph)

The feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila, (Feast of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno de Quiapo) is considered as one of the most impressive religious event in the Catholic community in the country according to the Archdiocese of Manila. The feast is held every January 9 and millions of devotees come to visit the image.

The image was brought to Manila from Mexico in 1607 by the Spanish friars aboard a ship. It is said that the ship caught fire that burned the image. Fortunately, the image survived the fire and since then, it became the Black Nazarene.

This devotion of millions of Filipinos to the Black Nazarene shows the influence of their religion, specifically of the Roman Catholic Church, to their life. Devotees or the image believes that their wish will be granted if they will make a vow (“panata”) to the image. So even believes that if you are lucky to hold or just touch the rope holding the carriage of the image during procession, your wish will be granted and/or your illnesses will be cured. Because of these beliefs, they considered the image to be miraculous, causing more and more people to check the image. The Catholic Church did not deny nor confirm these “miraculous” events.

Because of the overwhelming number of devotees attending the procession annually, and the desire of every one to touch the image, the supposedly peaceful and solemn procession has been also a scene of tragedy for some. This year, as of writing, 2 fatalities have been recorded and more than 40 devotees have been injured due to a stampede.

Still, this major event is a must seen for every Filipino. You can see how festive a Pinoy can be and how people from all walks of life gathered together to rejoice (and not to evict a president) for the Lord.

If you missed the January 9 festival, you can also see the image on procession on Good Friday.