FACTS ABOUT THE FEAST OF BLACK NAZARENE

Today, January 9 is the Feast of Black Nazarene. The annual event see millions of pious devotees expected to flock the procession of the image from the beginning and within the route of the procession. The veneration of the people to the Black Nazarene is such that a massive crowd of passionate devotees around the image slows down the procession to Quiapo Church which usually last for 18 - 24 hours. The Black Nazarene is said to be miraculous and a countless number of miracles to the people from sicknesses being healed to success in life to regaining a relationship that was lost and even complete transformation of the people is attributed to praying and unwavering faith to the Nazarene or the Christ passionately carrying the cross. On his feast day the people believes that by just grappling and gripping the cord which carry the carriage of the image or struggling to get close to the statue just to wipe its face, cross or any parts of the statue and kiss it will answer all their prayers which testified to be true by a lot of its devotees and followers. I am also fervently praying to the Black Nazarene that it will grant my prayers and also by spreading the devotion to the Black Nazarene through any means including this article feature in this blog will grant me something that I have been praying for quite sometime.

Anyway to tell more about the Black Nazarene, here are some of the trivia about the deeply revered Christ:


1. It is called El Nazareno Negro, Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno in Spanish while it is called Poong Itim Na Nazareno or Señor Nazareno in Filipino.

2. The statue derives its name from "Nazarene", which is a title of Christ identifying him as being of Nazareth in Galilee.

3. Traslacion (Spanish word for passage or movement) commemorates the 1787 solemn transfer of the image to its minor basilica in Quiapo from its original location in what is now Rizal Park.

4. The image was created by an anonymous Mexican sculptor and was brought to Manila from Acapulco, Mexico through the galleon trade on May 31, 1606. It was widely believed that during its voyage the ship carrying the image caught fire and charred the statue thus its present day color.

5. Monsignor Sabino A. Vengco, Jr. from Loyola School of Theology however validated that the statue is not charred but actually really dark to its core due to the mesquite wood used to carve out the image which actually is a popular medium in the period the statue was carved.

6. Pope Innocent X approved veneration of the statue in 1650 as a sacramental, and authorised the establishment of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Jesus Nazarene.

7. Pope Pius VII gave the statue his Apostolic Blessing in 1880, which granted plenary indulgence to those who piously pray before it.

8. St. John Paul II recognized the church as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene because of its role in strengthening a deep popular devotion to Jesus Christ and because of its cultural contribution to the religiosity of the Filipino people.

9. Devotees walk and follow the procession in barefoot as a symbol of humility.

10. The traslacion procession attracted millions of faithfuls annually and increasing in number every year.



Photo Source:

www.mtxtremist.blogspot.com
www.demotix.com

Another World Record For World Peace Through Inner Peace

56, 860 candles were initially lit to break the previous world record set by Pakistan in 2009 

Few minutes later, the rest of the candles were lit bringing the total number of candles being lit to 100,000 

Another Guinness World Record has been broken and created in the Queen City of the South, Iloilo in the town of Oton last night Monday, April 14, 2014. The initial lighted candles of 56,680 is enough to set a new world record of largest flaming image using candles previously set by Pakistan on December 10, 2009 with 35,478 candles however minutes later, the rest of the candles were lighted bringing the total number of candles lit to 100,000. This world breaking event is about prayer and meditation spreading the message "World Peace Through Inner Peace" uniting different religious groups - Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, government organizations, non-profit organizations, institutions and most especially the youth. Last year, Iloilo flown 15,185 to set a new world record for the most number of sky lanterns flown previously set by Romania in June 2012 with 12,470 sky lanterns flown. 


Photo Sources: 

Batusay SSC, Iloilo Metropolitan Times thru Batusay SSC 
James Dee Images, Discover Panay Island by Hawili Hurom

ILOILO DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2014 LIVE Streaming

For those inquiring about Dinagyang Festival 2014 Live Stream links, here are the links which you can watch the Dinagyang Festival 2014 online anywhere you are in the world.  Dinagyang Ati Tribe Competition will be on Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 8 am (PHILIPPINE TIME)

Make the hashtags #Dinagyang2014 and #IAmIloilo a WORLDWIDE TREND on Twitter this coming January 26, Thanks!

Click the links below:


DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2014 LIVE STREAM by Choose Philippines 


Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2014 LIVE Streaming by Stream Pinoy 


GMA Network DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2014 LIVE Streaming Coverage 



GMA Network DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2014 LIVE Streaming Coverage Below:

Feast Of The Black Nazarene

The Image Of The Holy Black Nazarene So Loved and Honored By Many Pilgrims

Crows Flock To Witness The Processions of the Black Nazarene 

          Today, January 9 is the feast day of the Black Nazarene. Nine (9) million devotees and pilgrims are expected to come, and witness the procession and activities during the day of the feast considered to be the biggest religious feast celebration in the Philippines. On the eve of the feast celebration, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flocked to the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila which is the starting point of the procession the next day, to venerate, touch and kiss the miraculous Black Nazarene and camp their night out till the next day when an early dawn mass is held and the procession starts at sunrise where millions of devotees and pilgrims gather to witness the procession. Many faithfuls attested the miracles attributed to the prayers and veneration of the said sacred image from being healed and cured of their diseases to conceiving babies for those thought to be sterile and infertile to fulfilling their impossible dreams.
          The Black Nazarene is carried into the streets for procession in a shoulder-bourne carriage known to devotees as the andas (from the Spanish word Andar meaning "To go forward"). The devotees wear the colour maroon and walk barefoot as an act of penance for Jesus on his way to Mount Calvary. Traditionally, only men are permitted to hold the ropes pulling the image's carriage, but in recent years female devotees have also participated in the procession. These rope pullers are traditionally called namámasán. People who have touched the Black Nazarene are reported to have been cured of their diseases, and Catholics come from all over Manila to touch the image in the hopes of a miracle. Towels or handkerchiefs are hurled to the marshals and escorts guarding the Black Nazarene with requests to wipe these on the statue in hopes of the miraculous powers attributed to it "rubbing off" on the cloth articles.
          For the meantime, here is my own prayer to the Black Nazarene:

O most holy, most beloved Black Nazarene, thank you for all the blessings and graces you bestowed on us through the years. We thank you for the grace of life and health that you give us. We feel so sorry for all the transgressions and sins we committed and we humbly ask for your forgiveness as we strive each day for its reparation and as we struggle for a renewal of life of reformation, godliness affirmation and faith. We offer and entrust our lives with you and hope that we live our lives in accordance to your example and submit to your will. We ask for your guidance over us in everyday of our lives and shower us with your unconditional love and endless graces as we live a happy and fulfilling life and always save and protect us in all and every forms of danger of body and soul. We trust you and owe you our life, dear Lord. Amen.

          Here is a further reading and facts about the most sacred and revered Black Nazarene. Click the link below:       

  

Wikipedia: Black Nazarene 

          If you want to pray the Nine-Day Novena, click the link below:  

Novena To The Most Sacred Black Nazarene

* The Philippine National Police estimated more than ten (10) pilgrims and devotees attended this year's Feast of the Black Nazarene.    

Another Interesting Discovery About Pedro Calungsod

Jaro Has The Earliest Calungsod Baptism

         THE DISTRICT of Jaro in Iloilo City has the earliest recorded baptism of a Calungsod, according to the Mormon-run genealogy website, www.familysearch.org. This little infor mation perhaps could shed answer to queries on where exactly Blessed Pedro Calungsod came from as he is set to be canonized Sunday, October 21. 
      The genealogy website operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, showed the earliest recorded baptism of a Calungsod was that of Maria Calungsod, daughter of Juan Calungsod and Josepha Beatris. She was baptized on Sept. 7, 1748 in Jaro, Iloilo City, according to one of the most heavily used genealogy sites on the Internet. 
      The FamilySearch.org website offers free access to digital images of genealogical records stored at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, which holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions, including over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records. Blessed Pedro Calungsod was believed to have been born in 1655 in the Visayas, with the towns of Ginatilan in Cebu, Hinundayan and Hinunangan in southern Leyte, and Molo, Iloilo City as his probable places of birth.    There was no information as to how old Juan Calungsod when his daughter was baptized in Jaro but the website also showed that a Maria Feliziana Calungsod, probably a younger daughter, was baptized on June 2, 1753, also in Jaro, Iloilo City. 
         A Thomasina Calungsod was also baptized in Jaro, Iloilo City on April 4, 1750 whose parents were listed as Juan Calungsod and Feliziana Olay, also the parents of another Maria Calungsod who was baptized on October 9, 1751, also in Jaro. The website also yielded baptism records of Calungsods from Baybay, Leyte (1828), Hinunangan, Leyte (1856), Cavite City, Cavite (1872), Ginatilan, Cebu (1889), Taysan, Negros Oriental (1889), La Castellana, Negros Occidental (1900), Iloilo (1900) and Guihulngan, Negros Oriental (1903). The earliest recorded baptism in Baybay, Leyte was that of Feliciana Alejandra Calungsod who was baptized in the Immaculate Conception Church on Nov 10, 1828 and whose parents were listed as Francisco Calungsod and Maria Vicenta. In Hinunganan, Leyte, the earliest recorded baptism was that of Calixtra Calungsod, born in 1856 and died on Feb 25, 1926. There was no information on who her parents were. (PNA) Link


Source: Iloilo: Queen City of the South Official Page