Kagay-anons turned out in droves to join the local celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9, 2024, but in drastically reduced numbers compared to previous years.
The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church) in Manila donated one of the Callejeros (replicas of the 17th century image) to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro for the jubilee year of its Nazareno Parish in January 9, 2009 upon the instance of then Parish Priest Msgr. Rey Monsanto.
The image was brought to the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral. On the same year, the first Black Nazarene procession was held in Northern Mindanao.
The original life-sized icon was carved by a now forgotten sculptor in Acapulco, Mexico from dark colored wood and brought to Manila in a galleon by Augustinian Recollect missionaries on May 31, 1606. It is reputed to be miraculous had has been credited with healing many devotees of their infirmities.
Since then thousands of its devotees have been attending the Cagayan de Oro edition of the Traslación, a procession from the St Augustine Cathedral to the Nazareno Parish Church in Lapasan, inspired by the annual procession which reenacts the late 18th-century transfer of the religious icon from its original shrine in Intramuros to the Quiapo Church.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Jose A. Cabantan advised the devotees joining the procession to reflect on the essence of the intense devotion to the Poong Hesus Nazareno.
“Let us with grateful hearts praise God for the bounteous blessings He has given us. The greatest blessing is of course His only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior who is born for us and journeys with us. He sustains, comforts and consoles us in all our undertakings amidst the various challenges we encounter in our lives,” Archbishop Cabantan said in his message aired over Radio Veritas.
He stressed how Jesus is a constant companion in all our journeys, particularly in challenging times and situations.
( Photo courtesy of Isabelle Czarina Soriano)
“His passion and carrying the cross inspires us despite the cross that that we bear in our life journeys. He calls us to participate by walking with Him in the Traslación,, deny ourselves by carrying our cross to follow Him, because He lightens our burdens! We are never alone in facing all the trials we encounter in our lives. God is always with us, our Emmanuel! ”
The Feast of the Black Nazarene
The Feast of the Black Nazarene commemorates the anniversary of the translation or the transfer of the image from its original location at a church in modern-day Luneta Park to Quiapo. The image was brought to the Church of San Juan Bautista in Bagumbayan (now Luneta) until May 31, 1606, by Augustinian Recollect priests.
In 1608, the icon was enshrined at the Recollect church of San Nicolás de Tolentino in Intramuros. Thence, it was moved to the Saint John the Baptist Church (now commonly referred to as the Quiapo Church), on January 9, 1787. The “solemn transfer” eventually became the date of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
(photo courtesy of Trip ni Tonio)
The latest Traslación in Manila was deemed as one of the fastest ever, with the image of the Black Nazarene back in the Quiapo Church after only 15 hours.
Authorities estimated over 6.5 million people joinedthe procession, which started at around 5 a.m. from Quirino Grandstand, while the crowd at the Quiapo Church was estimated at 1,398,500 as of 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The Philippine National Police earlier said this year’s Traslación was “generally peaceful” and “better coordinated” than in previous years, according to ABS-CBN News.
It is the first time the traditional parade featuring the life-sized statue has been held since 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced officials to drastically downsize the event.
The Kagay-an Traslación
Aside from the one in Manila, processions replicating the Traslación are also held on January 9 in other parts of the country, with the largest in Cagayan de Oro, which uses an official replica of the image given by the Minor Basilica in 2009.
However, the number of devotees who joined the Traslación in Cagayan de Oro City was greatly reduced in 2024 to only 18,000 compared to the 120,000 estimated in 2023, according to the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO).
Authorities attributed the reduced attendance to possible apprehensions arising from the recent bombing of a Catholic mass at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City, as well as January 9 being a regular working day in Cagayan de Oro, compared to the special non-working day in Manila declared by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila.
Traslación in other areas
On March 4, 2014, a replica of the Black Nazarene from Quiapo Church arrived at the Old Chapel of St. Rock the Healer Mission Center, Bishop’s Compound, Brgy. Cawayan, Catarman, Northern Samar. The first Traslación was held on January 9, 2015, when the sacred image was transferred from the old church to the new church building.
Davao City received the tenth official replica distributed by Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo in 2015. The image is now kept in the Our Lady of Peñafrancia GKK Chapel at DECA Homes Esperanza Tigatto, Buhangin, Davao City, which is part of the San Alfonso Maria de Ligouri Parish. Some 200-300 devotees joined the Traslación in 2023.
In Tagum City, Davao del Norte, some 6,000 devotees were estimated to join the two hour religious motorcade that would take the replica of the Black Nazarene from the Parish of the Christ Eucharistic King church in downtown Tagum to the Sagrada Corazon de Jesus Nazareno Parish in Barangay Apokon, passing along city streets along a 12.7-kilometer route. This was only the third time for Tagum to join the Traslación .
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