By Helen Castaño | 03:57 AM January 08, 2023
Devotees braved Sunday’s early morning rains to join the Traslacion or Walk of Faith procession in Bohol province.
The Traslacion started from Holy Spirit School of Tagbilaran, which brought back the replica of the Black Nazarene to the Assumption of Our Lady Parish Shrine in Dauis where the revered image is housed.
Hundreds of devotees brought out their umbrellas while they joined the 3 a.m. and they walked the 13-kilometer stretch of road from the school to the shrine.
Church volunteers led the procession with an estimated 2,500 devotees who joined the Traslacion.
The procession passed through J. A. Clarin Street, Plaza Rizal rotonda, St. Joseph the Worker Shrine-Parish, Burgos Street, and Borja Bridge, and to the Assumption of Our Lady Shrine Parish in Dauis town.
The rains stopped as the image approached the Borja bridge.
The procession arrived at Dauis church at about 5 a.m. It was followed by a Pontifical Mass officiated by Bishop Abet Uy.
On his homily, Bishop Abet told the faithful that we will be encouraged to follow the example of Poong Nazareno.
“Kung aduna may mga suliran ug pagsuway dili unta ta mawad-an og paglaum. Let us be strong like the Poong Nazareno for we know that difficult roads will bring us to heaven and to eternal life,” he said.
This year is the second Traslacion since the arrival of the replica of the Black Nazarene on Nov. 20, 2021.
The image, a life-sized statue of a suffering Jesus fallen under the weight of the cross, was a gift given to Diocese of Tagbilaran from Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, was then brought to the Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Dauis where the image will stay until a shrine will finish soon.
Since then, Dauis has been the center for the Black Nazarene devotion in Bohol.
The religious icon, held to be miraculous by its millions of religious devotees, was carved by an anonymous sculptor in Mexico and was brought to Manila via galleon by Augustinian Recollect missionaries on May 31, 1606.
