FEAST OF THE BLACK NAZARENE

http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Cynthia/festivals/feast_of_the_black_nazarene.htm

Every January 9 at Quiapo Church in Manila, The Black Nazarene, a life-sized statue of Christ is carried through town by barefooted men yelling, "Viva Señor", while huge crowd tries to touch the statu. The statue was bought by a priest in Mexico and brought it to Manila in 1606. Since 1787 the statue has been housed at Saint John the Baptist Church in Quiapo. For more than 200 years the church has been placing the statue on a gilded carriage every January and pulling it through the streets of Quiapo. People who touch it are reported to sometimes be healed of diseases. Catholics come from all over Manila on the chance that they will be able to get close enough to touch the image and perhaps receive a miracle. They also throw towels to the police who guard the statue and ask them to rub the towel on the statue in hopes of carrying some of that power away with them...

The statue is also brought out on Good Friday.

If you decide to take part in the event, be prepared. Most in the crowd go barefoot as a sign of humility as they follow the statue. A few dozen people a year pass out and must be taken away by ambulance. And there is at least a small risk of being trampled.

The feast and procession, though, are a truly Filipino experience.

.....

ABS-CBN News
Metro (as of 1/9/2008 10:56 AM )

15,000 arrive for Feast of the Black Nazarene

An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 devotees flocked to the Quiapo district early Wednesday for the annual Feast of the Black Nazarene, police said.

The Manila city government has formed Task Force Nazareno, composed of five teams, that will handle the crowd, security and provide medical assistance to the thousands of devotees expected to flock at the heart of the Quiapo district.

Hundreds of devotees started trooping in front of Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene famously known as the Quiapo church as early as 4 a.m.

Senior Superintendent Leo Quizon, Manila Police District officer-in-charge, said Tuesday that at least 1,000 policemen are deployed around the district. The military's National Capital Region Command will also deploy soldiers to assist Manila policemen in securing the devotees.

The Manila police have also deployed eight mobile cars to areas where the Black Nazarene is expected to visit. Three teams of the Special Weapons and Tactics and two anti-bomb squad teams have also been deployed in Quiapo.

Augmenting the police are 400 crime watch volunteers and four firetrucks. At least 13 medical teams of the police, the Philippine National Red Cross and city-run hospital in Manila and 15 ambulances have also been put on standby to assist casualties during the procession.

To assure a zero-injury feast, the Church and the Manila City government decided to break tradition by assigning 200 Manila policemen to pull out the Black Nazarene out of the basilica. The black image of Jesus Christ will be turned over by the 200 policemen to hundreds of waiting devotees at Villalobos Street. The procession starts at 2 p.m.

Devotees usually throw towels to people handling the image during the procession. Devotees have long believed that touching the Black Nazarene will yield miraculous blessings.

The Black Nazarene has been housed at the Church of the Black Nazarene since 1787. It was brought to Manila by a Spanish priest in 1607 aboard a ship that caught fire. The image was burnt, thus, it came to be known as the Black Nazarene.

The Light Rail Transit announced Wednesday that it will allot additional train rides as devotees are expected to crowd its stations.

The Manila City government will close the southbound lane of Quezon Boulevard for the procession. The northbound lane starting from Plaza Lawton, meanwhile, will remain open.

Other Manila streets and roads that will be closed for the procession are España Avenue, Lerma, P. Campa, Andalucia, Fugoso, Palanca, Estero, Cegado Road, Isetann service road, Legarda, San Rafael, P. Casal, Concepcion, Aguila and Arlegui.

(photo by Linus)