CBCP: Black Nazarene procession slated in CDO for Mindanao devotees

Devotees in Mindanao will have their own activities in Cagayan de Oro (CDO) city marking the feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said this will be the third time the city will hold a Black Nazarene procession. “We are expecting more people this time because it’s (procession) is on a Sunday," Msgr. Rey Monsanto, parish priest of the Jesus Nazareno Church, said in an article posted on the CBCP news site on Friday. Monsanto said organizers expect more than 100,000 devotees to attend the festivities. Some 100,000 people attended last year's rites. He said the devotion to the Black Nazarene among local residents is gaining popularity as more people have been joining the religious procession since the practice started in CDO in 2009. The devotees who join the CDO festivities include those from Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Butuan, Davao, and even Cebu. Monsanto said security measures for the procession, which will start at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, have been set in place with the help of the local police and the military. From the Jesus Nazareno Church, the procession will proceed to Lapasan, Agora Market, Julio Pacana Street, Juan Luna Street, Osmeña Street and back to Claro M. Recto where the church is located. A replica of the Black Nazarene’s image from the Quiapo Church in Manila was turned over to Cagayan de Oro City in 2009 to give devotees in Mindanao a chance to join the religious event every January 9. – VVP, GMANews.TV