Feast of the Black Nazarene

The Feast of the Black Nazarene is held every month of January. And for us Filipinos it has been a part of our history and tradition to celebrate it. Many devotees are living witnesses to the Black Nazarene's miracles. Celebrities, politicians and commoners flood the streets of Quiapo Church to gather and give thanks Him. Let us all pray for everyone and I hope that this feast day would not cause any tragedy to us Filipinos. Viva Nazareno!

photo courtesy of lakbay pilipinas

History :
The image was brought to the Philippines by the Augustinian Recollect Missionaries in May 31, 1606. It was initially enshrined in the first Recollect church in Bagumbayan (now part of Rizal Park). In September 10, 1606, the church was inaugurated and placed under the patronage of St. John the Baptist. In 1608, the Nazarene image was transferred to the second bigger Recollect church of San Nicolas de Tolentino built inside the fortress of Intramuros. Between the years 1767 and 1790, the Archbishop of Manila, Basilio Sancho de Santas Justa y Rufina, ordered the transfer of the image of the Nazareno to the church in Quiapo under the patronage of St. John the Baptist. The intensity of the devotion to the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno flourished and spread throughout the Philippines.

Today, the head portion of the Black Nazarene is retained in the high altars of the Quiapo church while the body is used for public procession. In the 2007 Black Nazarene feast, both the original head and the body were combined together in celebration of the Black Nazarene's 400 year old history.

The veneration of the Black Nazarene is very popular among Filipinos because of their religious piety and devotion to the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Many devotees of the Black Nazarene attribute their poverty and struggles in the daily society to the wounds and tribulations of Jesus Christ, as represented by the Black Nazarene. Although the patron saint of the Minor Basilica of Black Nazarene is originally Saint John the Baptist, the consecration of the Black Nazarene has gained more popular because Jesus Christ is the center of piety and devotion, which may or may not be interceded through a saint.