MORE than 8 million Catholic faithful joined the annual ‘Feast of the Black Nazarene’ or ‘Translacion’ this year, a number that eclipsed those that joined last year, according to the estimate of the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of ‘Jesus Nazareno’ or the Quiapo Church.
Based on the parish’s tally, some 8.12 million devotees joined, nearly 2 million more than the estimated 6.4 million devotees that joined last year.
The procession, held every January 9, started from the Quirino Grandstand with some 1.2 million devotees present.
They were later joined by more than 387,000 people in the processional route and by another 6.5 million more in and around the Quiapo area, church officials told the media.
The image finally arrived back at the Quiapo Church at past 1:00 am on Friday nearly 21 hours after the procession started at past 4:00 am on Thursday.