By Jason B. Neola
A harmonious collaboration between the Archdiocese of Caceres, the Holy Cross Parish in Barangay Tabuco, and the Hijos de Nazareno Bicol Unit Association, alongside the Samahan para Birhen ng Kapayapaan at Mabuting Paglalakbay, is underway to mark the 35th year of the feast day of the Black Nazarene on January 9, 2024.
The preparations commenced on December 31, 2023, when the revered image of the Black Nazarene was transported from Barangay Palsong in Bula town (Camarines Sur) to the Holy Cross Parish.
Here, a solemn series of religious rites, including the Holy Rosary, Novena to the Black Nazarene, and the singing of perdon, unfolded at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The sacred ambiance culminated in a 5:30 PM Holy Mass, a ritual set to extend until January 8, 2024.
From the first day of the Novenario Masses on December 31 to the ninth day on January 8, designated priests will serve as mass presiders, and organizations have been assigned as mass offerors to enrich this sacred observance, weaving a tapestry of spiritual reverence.
On January 6, 2024, at 1:30 PM, the Holy Cross Parish will host a special formation for new members of the Hijos de Nazareno.
As the anticipation builds on January 8, a transcendent traslacion procession will commence at 6:30 PM, featuring replicas of the Black Nazarene owned by devoted parishioners and devotees, in various sizes, parading from the parish to the Plaza Quezon.
The feast day on January 9, 2024, will be marked by a series of six fiesta masses at 6 AM, 9 AM, 12 PM, and 3 PM. At 5 PM, a grand pontifical concelebrated mass, led by Most Rev. Rolando Tria Tirona, Archbishop of Caceres, will grace the Plaza Quezon. Following this poignant mass at 5 PM, a solemn penitential procession will unfold.
Culminating the day’s spiritual odyssey, the final mass, beginning at 8 PM, will resonate at the Holy Cross Parish. This concluding celebration will witness the procession of the Black Nazarene image, bringing an ethereal closure to the spiritually enriching celebration.