Devotees display 400 Nazarene replicas

MANILA, Philippines – Devotees of the Black Nazarene paraded at least 400 replicas of the image on the streets of Quiapo, Manila yesterday afternoon, two days before the feast of Quiapo Church’s patron saint.

Priests and lay ministers from the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene sprinkled holy water – contained in large red water drums – from the footbridge beside the church as the devotees carrying the replicas walked below.

Maroon and gold were the dominant colors worn by the replicas while other images were clad in white, violent and even pink robes.

While many replicas were carried on devotees’ shoulders or on carriages, some images were paraded on flower-bedecked floats and even on small boats.

The procession, which started at around 2 p.m. and joined by hundreds of devotees, caused a traffic gridlock in the area.

When church officials wheeled out a replica at around 3:30 p.m., devotees flocked to image and shouted “Viva!” as they threw face towels and handkerchiefs at volunteers standing on the carriage.

The devotees hoped the volunteers would wipe the statue and throw the towels and handkerchiefs back. They believe that the towels would help heal illnesses when used to wipe a patient.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde personally supervised security operations on the procession of the replicas.

“We deployed a skeletal force of 1,700 policemen today that also serves as a dry run for our security operations come Monday’s Black Nazarene procession. So far so good and we are ready for our big job on Jan. 9,” Albayalde said in an interview.

Some devotees decided to go home after the blessing but most decided to stay around the church.

‘Pahalik’

Today, devotees are expected to flock to the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park for the traditional “pahalik” of the Black Nazarene.

Every year, devotees would line up for hours just to get the chance to touch and kiss the Nazarene’s exposed foot.

The image is secretly transported to the Grandstand at night and organizers would start the pahalik as soon as it is set in place at the center of the stage.

Filipinos are willing to stay in line, come rain or sun, because they believe the image is miraculous.

Cleanup volunteers

On the other hand, Charles Unidad, who is in charge of the church’s Green Brigade, said that just like in previous years, they will immediately clean up once the procession has started.

Garbage left behind by devotees and onlookers has often been a problem. Several truckloads of garbage are collected from Rizal Park almost every year.

Last year, “it took us two hours to restore Rizal Park,” he said.

Unidad said there are around 1,198 people who volunteered to help pick up garbage around the grandstand, many of them from five schools near Quiapo Church while yet others are members of Catholic Church organizations.

The Philippine College of Criminology reportedly would send the biggest contingent of cleaners, with 580 students and personnel.

Today, members of the Green Brigade will go around picking up garbage and placing them in transparent trash bags they have on hand.

No smoking, littering

EcoWaste also reminded Black Nazarene devotees to observe “no smoking, no littering” in Rizal Park, where the night-long vigil will take place today.

The coalition sought the cooperation of devotees to prevent a repeat of the widespread littering in the park during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the tens of thousands of Catholic faithful who will troop to Luneta for the traditional pahalik (kissing the foot of the Black Nazarene statue) and vigil at the Quirino Grandstand will fully abide by the park’s directive banning littering and smoking,” said Ochie Tolentino of EcoWaste.

“We further appeal to all the devotees to help in picking up the trash at the Quirino Grandstand and parade ground right after the liturgy for the procession on Jan. 9. Let it not be said that the believers came to Luneta in droves to profess their faith and then left the park in a mess,” she added. – With Rhodina Villanueva, Non Alquitran