(File photo)
MANILA – An official of the Quiapo Church on Thursday appealed to other parishes under the Archdiocese of Manila to celebrate Masses for the feast of the Black Nazarene on Saturday.
Msgr. Hernando Coronel, church rector, said he asked Apostolic Administrator of Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo for churches in the archdiocese to hold at least one eucharistic celebration for the feast.
“I appealed to Bishop Pabillo. I appealed to parish priests to celebrate fiesta masses in their parishes under the Archdiocese of Manila. That is five cities,” he said in an interview.
Coronel added that the purpose of holding feast masses is to encourage devotees to attend these masses in the churches under the archdiocese and other dioceses so that they do not have to go to Quiapo Church in Manila.
“They’ll have one feast Mass. It depends on the parish so they (devotees) can attend there. Archdiocese of Manila, the Dioceses of Caloocan, Cubao, Novaliches, Pasig, Paranaque...also other provinces. So they have the Novena Mass and fiesta Mass,” he said.
The organizers of the annual feast are discouraging the people particularly devotees from flocking to the Quiapo Church during the celebration of the Black Nazarene feast for their safety and to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.
They also introduced the localized celebration of a feast where the image of Black Nazarene visited cities and provinces.
Coronel also urged devotees to let go of their tradition of walking barefooted during the feast.
“They should not walk barefooted. There is no andas that is carrying the Nazarene vicario with the rope that is part of the procession,” he added.
Many activities related to the celebration of the annual event have been canceled due to the pandemic, among them is the 'Traslacion' or the grand procession of the image of the Black Nazarene from Quirino Grandstand in Luneta to the basilica in Quezon Boulevard.
This year, the Black Nazarene will only be placed outside the balcony of the Quiapo Church for the devotees to see and pray to the image for the whole day of Saturday. (PNA)
