Filipino Catholics attending mass. (File photo)
MANILA -- A new campaign on the importance of one's Holy Baptism is set to be launched at the St. John the Baptist Church, the parochial name of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene or the Quiapo Church, on Sunday.
In a statement Saturday, church-run Radio Veritas said the nationwide "Holy Birth Day" campaign will be highlighted by a special baptismal rite of 12 infants born from the poorest areas across greater Manila on January 12, the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism.
“The campaign seeks to promote the celebration of one’s Baptismal Day alongside one’s yearly celebration of his/her birthday or Natal Day,” it said.
The baptism rites will be officiated by Rev. Teodoro Bacani, DD, with the attendance of entertainment and sports celebrities, among them Ai-ai delas Alas, who will stand as the babies’ godparents.
It will be held at the Basilica from 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m.
“Such comprehensive undertaking dubbed as Holy Birth Day (Baptismal Day) seeks to promote the awareness and celebration of this most significant day in the life of a Filipino Catholic, which covers almost 80.6 percent of the country’s current population,” it added.
Once baptized, a Catholic is “freed from sin and reborn as sons and daughters of God and (is) incorporated into the church founded by Christ and made sharers in her mission,” the radio station added.
The event is being undertaken just days after the Traslacion where some four million devotees joined the annual procession from the Quirino Grandstand to the Basilica located along Quezon Boulevard in Manila.
Quiapo Church officials said this year’s procession of the andas (carriage) of the Black Nazarene was among the fastest in recent history as it lasted only 16 hours.
In 2019, the Traslacion ended after 21 hours. (PNA)
