Quiapo Church releases 10-day schedule for Nazarene feast

MANILA, Philippines — A two-hour Walk of Thanksgiving kicked off the 10-day activities set by the Quiapo Church for the Feast of the Black Nazarene, which will culminate in the annual traslacion on Jan. 9, 2025.

The Quiapo Church, officially known as the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of the Black Nazarene, has released the list of activities in line with the feast day.

The first activity, the Walk of Thanksgiving, took place from midnight of Dec. 30 until Dec. 31.

Alex Irasga, Quiapo Church’s technical adviser for the Black Nazarene Feast 2025, said the thanksgiving procession “is a yearend event.”

“This is a way for our kababayans, fellow Nazarene devotees and the faithful community of Quiapo Church to thank our beloved Señor for all the blessings we received,” Irasga said.

Several devotees of the more than 400-year-old black image of Jesus Christ attested to receiving miracles and blessings after praying to Him.

The Black Nazarene goes out of the Quiapo Church only three times a year: Good Friday, Walk of Thanksgiving and the traslacion, which is held every Jan. 9, with the procession starting from the Quirino Grandstand and ending in Quiapo Church.

The Walk of Thanksgiving is a smaller procession as the Black Nazarene will only go around the Quiapo Church.

The image will be placed on a truck and followed by members of the “Hijos del Nazareno” to provide security.

Other activities for the Black Nazarene feast are the barangay visitations from Jan. 1 to 6, first Friday masses of the year on Jan. 3 and mass for the volunteers on Jan. 6.

The traditional pahalik or kissing of the image will be held from Jan. 7 to 9. The overnight vigil and program are scheduled on Jan. 8 until the next day.

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula will celebrate the midnight mass on Jan. 9. — Ghio Ong