Quiapo Assistant Parish Priest Fr. Douglas Badong leads the welcome mass at Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Nazarene Parish in Apokon, Tagum City on Saturday, Dec. 3. Jay Apostol/CIO Tagum
TAGUM CITY, Philippines — Devotees of the popular Black Nazarene welcomed the replica image at the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Parish in Apokon, this city.
“I have goosebumps when I saw the image of Black Nazarene. I am very happy because the image is here again in our place,” said Yolanda Marquez, a devotee of the Black Nazarene said.
The image of the Black Nazarene was processioned from Panabo City heading to Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Parish. A welcome Eucharistic Mass was celebrated by Quiapo Assistant Parish Priest Fr. Douglas Badong.
Badong said that he is elated to know that there is a great number of Black Nazarene devotees in Mindanao.
“I am happy to know that we have devotees in Tagum and even in Mindanao. They don’t need to visit Quiapo because they have their own,” he said.
Black Nazarene devotees coming from Tagum City, Cotabato City, General Santos City, Butuan City and nearby provinces flocked the church to welcome the image in this city for the second time.
The popular Roman Catholic icon has arrived at Panabo City in Dec. 3.
For Emerson delos Reyes, parish priest of the the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Nazarene Parish, the people’s devotion to the image of Black Nazarene was one of the many reasons why it found a second home in Tagum City.
“When it first visited in Tagum, according to the guards, devotees seem to be overwhelmed with the image of Black Nazarene. I think it is one reason why Cardinal Tagle approved its second parish visit here and it could be seen also in our report,” he said.
According to Tagum City’s Information Office dispatch, the second parish visitation of the image of Black Nazarene was a joint effort of the parish, the Tagum Diocese, and the city government of Tagum. (davaotoday.com)
