Quiapo Church

Back to Main Page

FEAST OF THE BLACK NAZARENE JANUARY 9, 2016

Devotees cheer as the image of the Black Nazarene is led out at dawn during the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. The Feast of the Black Nazarene culminates in a day long procession on January 9 as barefoot devotees march to see and touch the image of the Black Nazarene. The Black Nazarene is a dark wood sculpture of Jesus brought to the Philippines in 1606 from Spain and considered miraculous by Filipino devotees. As many as 6 million devotees are expected to attend during the culmination in this predominantly Catholic nation in Southeast Asia.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

FEAST OF THE BLACK NAZARENE JANUARY 9, 2015

( File Photo) A sea of humanity celebrates the feast of Black Nazarene at the Quirino Grandstand Manila, Philippines -January 9, 2015

Simbáng Gabi

Simbáng Gabi (Filipino for "Night Mass") is a devotional nine-day series of Masses practised by Roman Catholics and Aglipayans in the Philippines in anticipation of Christmas and to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary. The masses are held daily from December 16 to December 24, and occur at different times ranging from as early as 03:00 to 05:00 PST. On the last day of the Simbang Gabi, which is Christmas Eve, the service is instead called Misa de Gallo (Spanish for "Rooster's Mass").

The Simbáng Gabi originated in the early days of Spanish rule over the Philippines as a practical compromise for farmers, who began work before sunrise to avoid the noonday heat out in the fields. Priests began to say Mass in the early mornings instead of the evening novenas more common in the rest of the Hispanic world. This cherished Christmas custom eventually became a distinct feature of Philippine culture and became a symbol of sharing.
Spanish Era agricultural practices 
The Philippines is an agricultural country known for its rice, coconut and sugarcane plantations. Many tenant farmers (also known as sacadas, campesinos, and casamacs) toiled all day with one break during noon when the heat would be at its peak. Losing an hour due to the unbearable temperatures, farmers worked hard and budgeted their time out of fear of the local encargado, who administered land for the Spanish feudal lord or encomendero/hacendero.

In between the planting and harvest seasons is a lull in the work imposed on natives. Those who were old enough to provide manual labour were gathered under the tributo system where men would have to work for free for the Spanish colonial government's building projects. The women also have their share of work tending to their vegetable gardens or tumana and as household help for the local political elite.

When the Christmas season would begin, it was customary to hold novenas in the evenings, but the priests saw that the people would attend despite the day's fatigue. As a compromise, the clergy began to hold Mass in the early dawn when the land would still be dark before people went out to till the land.

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (canonically known as Saint John the Baptist Parish and colloquially known as Quiapo Church; Spanish: Basílica Menor del Nazareno Negro) is a prominent Roman Catholic Latin-rite basilica located in the District of Quiapo in the City of Manila, Philippines. The basilica is famous home for the shrine of the Black Nazarene, a dark statue of Jesus Christ many claim to be miraculous. The parish is under the Archdiocese of Manila and its current rector is Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio.

The early church built by the Franciscan Missionaries was made of bamboo for the frame and nipa palm as thatching. In 1574, Limahong and his soldiers destroyed and burned the church. Formerly a visita of Santa Ana, Quiapo Church, a Franciscan friar, Fr. Antonio de Nombella founded the church in 1588 which was declared the Parish of St. John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ who called everyone to penance before one can receive Him. It was burned in 1603 and the parish was temporarily handed over to the Jesuits till the secular priests objected. Gov. Gen. Santiago de Vera initiated the full construction of the church in 1686. On April 8, 1639, the administration of the Church was returned to the seculars who had always taking care of the church’s welfare.

The English attempted to destroy the church in 1762. An earthquake in 1863 destroyed the church and in its place a temporary church was built. Fr. Eusebio de León reconstructed the ruined church in 1879. Rev. Eusebio de León and Rev. Manuel Roxas completed the reconstruction of the church in 1889. Roxas had raised the unprecedented amount of ₱40,000.00 from donations and lay contributions. On 30 October 1928, the church caught fire again which destroyed the church’s wooden ceiling and the sacristy at the rear of the main altar.

Fr. Magdaleno Castillo began the reconstruction of the church from the plan prepared by Filipino National Artist, Architect Juan Nakpil, son of composer Julio Nakpil, in 1933. He added the dome and a second belfry to the edifice. Architect Jose Maria Zaragoza enlarged the church and changed the design of the lateral walls in 1984. The facade and the dome were retained in the remodeling of the church.
The church was conferred the title Basilica Minor of the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno in 1988.

A Baroque church, the facade is distinctive with twisted columns on both levels. The Corinthian columns of the second level has 1/3 of the shaft near the base in twisted form while the upper portion has a smooth surface. The topmost portion of the four-storey belltowers arebalustered and decorated with huge scrolls. The tympanum of the pediment has a pair of chalice-like decoration and towards the end of the raking cornice urn-like vases the pediment terminates. With its recent renovation, only the facade and the dome at the transept retained the classic design.

The dome of the Quiapo Church

Interior of Quiapo Church.

High Altar of the church, with the Black Nazarene enshrined above it.

The choir loft and the narthex 

Tabernacle Altar on the gospel (left) side of the church.

The chancel and altar of the Quiapo Church.

Close up of the window design in Quiapo Church.

Coffered ceiling of Quiapo Church.

The masses go to Quiapo Church in downtown Plaza Miranda and drop a visit to the Nuestro Señor Jesús Nazareno (a dark figure of Christ carved by a Mexican artist from black wood) whose image, reputedly miraculous, was brought to the country in a Spanish galleon in the 17th century.

Quiapo Church holds a novena every Friday, Quiapo Day, in honour of the Black Nazarene, and is attended by thousands of devotees. A note is sounded before the novena begins as the devotees to the Black Nazarene troop in and emit their strings of petitions. One can encounter the traditional folk Catholicism of Filipinos when they all climb the narrow flight of stairs to kiss the Señor’s foot or wipe it with their handkerchiefs they use everytime they visit. The Feast of the Black Nazarene on 9 January celebrates the traslación (solemn translation) of the statue to the church from the Church of Saint Nicholas Tolentino. Traffic is re-routed round the devotees who participate in this district’s fiesta. There are men who are devoted to carry the Black Nazarene statue around a specific route. They have a panata, a vow to serve the Lord in this sacrifice. These people believed that an afternoon’s participation in the procession can repent their sins and shady deals in a year.

The Black Nazarene, known to devotees in Spanish as Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (Tagalog: Poóng Itím na Nazareno) is a life-sized, dark wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ carrying the cross, while representing his passion and suffering and is believed to be miraculous by many Filipino Catholics. It is one of the two statues of Christ brought from Mexico; the older and more popular copy belonging to the Recollects was destroyed in World War II during the Liberation of Manila.

Originally of fair complexion, it is believed to have turned dark after the statue survived a fire on the galleon ship that brought it from Mexico.

The Black Nazarene is publicly processed on three annual occasions: New Year's Day, Good Friday, and on 9 January, when its first novena feast, official translation (Spanish: traslación) and enshrinement in the present Basilica is commemorated. The event is attended by several million devotees that crowd the streets of processional route through the City of Manila.

The feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9 is considered one of the most spectacular religious events that take place in the Philippine history.

Every year thousands of devotees from all walks of life come to the district of Quiapo to take part in the procession as a way of strengthening their faith or fulfilling their “panata” (vow) to Lord.

1. Old Churches in the Philippines