Black Nazarene to visit Sapian anew
SAPIAN, Capiz – After two years, the Black Nazarene of Quiapo will again visit this town from August 15 to August 24.
Mayor Arturo Orosco and his wife Dr. Evangeline Oñas Orosco said they are facilitating the visit of the image for devotees who cannot afford to go to Manila to see the Black Nazarene.
Orosco said Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, parish priest of Quiapo who is a native of Roxas City, granted his request to have the image brought to Sapian anew.
Thousands of devotees are expected to troop to Sapian to attend novenas and masses that will be held during the stay of the pilgrim image.
The Orosco couple are active devotees of all kinds of religious statues in various parts of the country for the past 30 years.
The mayor said he is crediting his family’s success to their deep religiosity as shown by their active involvement in religious affairs.
The Black Nazarene is a burned life-size image of Jesus Christ carrying a cross. The statue was brought to Manila on May 31,1606 by Augustinian Recollect missionaries from Mexico aboard a ship that caught fire.
Though the image was burned, people decided to preserve and honor it. Since then miracles have been reported by those who touch the image, prompting the Church to make the Black Nazarene the patron saint of Quiapo.
During the 2008 visit, the mayor delivered his State of the Municipal Address which coincided with his birthday on August 22 when the procession of the black Nazarene image took place.
Thousands of devotees, during the caravan from Baybay to Sapian, got their handkerchiefs, towels or dresses touch the image and the cross as they believed the act could heal them and bring good luck to them.
Meanwhile, the Orosco couple said they are negotiating the visit of other pilgrim images to Sapian such as the Our Lady of Peñafracia of Bicol, Our Lady of Manaoag of Pangasinan, among others.
