By Arabella Balderama

On Tuesday, January 9, 2024, the City of Manila was filled with Filipino devotees to commemorate the Translacion’s return after three years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Traslacion is a tradition done to celebrate the Feast of the Black Nazarene wherein its image is transferred from the Church of San Juan Bautista in Luneta to the Quiapo Church.

Before the actual procession, around 175,000 devotees attended the Misa Mayor at the Quirino Grandstand, including government officials Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan and Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto.

The midnight mass was presided over by Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula.

Despite light showers in the vicinity, the devotees carried on with their worship as they viewed the weather as a “blessing.”

Some also expressed that no rain could deter their devotion as Traslacion only happens once a year and is a way to show their sacrifices in return for the blessings they have received.

According to the Quiapo Church, 6.1 million devotees joined the festivities, with over three million participating in the procession.

Traslacion 2024 also held the record of having the shortest grand procession as it finished after nearly 15 hours, at around 7:44 in the evening.

Moreover, the National Capital Region Police Office said that this year’s celebration was “generally peaceful” and “better coordinated” compared to the previous ones.

Aside from Traslacion, “pahalik” in the Quirino Grandstand and “dungaw” in San Sebastian Church were the other rites conducted to commemorate the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

Thumbnail from CNN Philippines