The Black Nazarene is the patron saint of Quaipo, the life size image shows a "black" Jesus Christ carrying a cross.
There are two stories on why and how the image became black. First is when the ship carrying the statue together with the Augustinian friars on May 31, 1606 from Spain caught fire, the other one is when the Quiapo church survived from great fires in 1791 and 1929.
The Black Nazarene is also known with its miraculous things including its survival from huge fires, earthquakes and destructive bombing in Manila during World War II in 1945.
It has been an annual feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo on January 9 since 1606 making it as the most celebrated religious feast in the Philippines. every year, millions of devotees are joining the procession, filling all the streets around the church that has been the route of the procession for years now.
The celebration always starts when the huge door of the church opens and the Nazarene is seen in its "caroza" that is also when the devotees start to wave their white handkerchief and towels (or anything that has an imprint of the Black Nazarene) while shouting "Viva Señor". The caroza is pulled by two long ropes handled by the sea of devotees who walk barefooted because they believe that they will be blessed with peace and harmony among families, long life and good health among people, deliverance from all calamities and disasters, prosperity, joy and love among nations if they will be able to catch the rope or wipe the Nazarene's face.
Sadly, almost every year there are some people who die mainly because of suffocation, cardiac arrest and other injuries that they get in sneaking their way to the caroza.
Today the head and the cross stay on the Altar of the church and the original body of the image i the one used in the processions, smaller and other replicas can also be seen in other churches and chapels.
This will always be a part of the belief of Filipino Catholics with their faith and devotion with Jesus Christ.
by Tracy Anne Cruz
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