MANILA, Philippines – The image of the Black Nazarene returned to the Quiapo Church on Thursday, January 9, concluding the biggest religious procession in the Philippines, which started at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila before sunrise the same day.

The procession, called the Traslacion, lasted around 16 hours, the fastest in recent years.

The image entered the church at around 8:49 pm on Thursday, led and carried by hijos—the volunteers who express their devotion by braving the sea of devotees determined to touch the revered image.

The journey reached its finish line faster because of the police barricade that was put in place during the first stretch of the procession. The carriage breezed through Finance Road at around 5:12 am, when it used to take all morning to get negotiate the Luneta area.

The previous years, the Traslacion ended on or after midnight. But the quick pace had a price: devotees who could not get close to the image , saying that the one day for their devotion was rushed.

The Black Nazarene statue, crowned with thorns and bearing a cross, was brought to Manila by Augustinian priests in 1607. Ever since then, a bounty of traditions and rituals have sprung from the image. The most popular continues to be the Traslacion. – Rappler.com

Here are more stories about Traslacion 2020:

• HIGHLIGHTS: The Traslacion of the Black Nazarene
• Faster Traslacion 2020 frustrates devotees
• TINGNAN: Iba’t ibang mukha ng debosyon sa Traslacion 2020
• Traslacion first-timer ‘endures all pain’ to kiss the Nazareno
• ‘Sana all’: Devotees cheer couple who got engaged during Traslacion 2020
• WATCH: Traslacion 2020 Dungaw pulls in thousands of devotees
• Devotion ‘to the last breath’: Senior citizens brave Traslacion 2020
• Volunteers share food and water with tired devotees during Traslacion 2020
• WATCH: A beauty stylist’s devotion to the Black Nazarene
• IN PHOTOS: First few hours of Traslacion 2020
• Twitter users slam Isko Moreno for clearing Quiapo streets of vendors for Traslacion 2020