The vicaria image of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno de Quiapo, during His first visit to Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu in the year 2012.
It is not surprising that even here in our hometown, the devotion to the Black Nazarene has been existing for many decades. Each year, our Parish held a solemn procession in honor of the Jesus Nazareno every January 9.
A small replica of the Black Nazarene has been placed in a medium size andas and carried by several men and women barefoot into the streets of San Mateo, to give an opportunity for the devotees who cannot go to Quiapo, Manila to celebrate the feast of the Black Nazarene.
The Jesus Nazareno chapel of Vicente family in Brgy. Sta. Ana, San Mateo, Rizal.
This practise has been supported by the Familia Vicente of Brgy. Sta. Ana where a chapel was constructed and dedicated under the patronage of Jesus Nazareno. The family is also known as the recamadero of the Holy week processional life-sized image of Jesus Nazareno.
The Holy week processional image in the care of Familia Vicente.
The original image of Jesus Nazareno under the care of the Vicentes was commissioned during the Peacetime Era in the country. It is believed that the image was brought to the parish church of Aranzazu. Unfortunately, the image was destroyed during the Second World War. The family decided to produce another image during the liberation, as a replacement of the original which is now kept inside their chapel.
The monthly ninth day devotion to our patroness, Our Lady of Aranzazu falls on the same date of the feast of the Black Nazarene. The parish therefore decided to collaborate the Pamimintuho procession and the Black Nazarene procession every night of January 9.
The vicaria image of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno from Quiapo church visited Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu twice in two consecutive years (2012 and 2013).
Remarkable devotee in San Mateo
A parishioner and devotee of Our Lady of Aranzazu, Jubilee Ann Gappi is also a member of Photographer Volunteer in Quiapo Church. She has been involved in various devotional activities to Señor Nazareno of Quiapo. She inherited the practise of devotion to the Black Nazarene to her father when she was first exposed to the traslacion procession in Manila, when she was only 5 years old.
Ms. Gappi dedicating her success in finishing college to Señor.
The tradition of her family in joining the traslacion continues every year until she enjoyed photography in 2014, and it became the instrument of her devotion and service for the Señor Nazareno until today. Jubilee claimed to receive countless of miracles and blessings from the Black Nazarene including her success in studies, financial, and healing.
“…My grandmother was brought to the hospital. While we were in the ambulance, I prayed to the Señor Nazareno to touch and heal my lola, when we arrived in the emergency room, my lola miraculously healed.”
She also indicated that a real devotee knows how to respect, how to be disciplined and humble. It is also hard to explain the reason behind the extreme sacrifice of millions of Filipino devotees during the Traslacion procession. The real devotion is not seen externally, but it is in the heart and personal communication to Jesus Christ.
“Ang nakakaintindi sa isang deboto, ay kapwa niya deboto..”
The adaptation of devotion to the Black Nazarene in our town of San Mateo is a vivid manifestation of our love and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ , it shows how we embrace the devotion from Quiapo that reached to our town because of the mercy and miracles of the Black Nazarene. It also indicates the rich traditions of our beloved town of San Mateo whom loved and blessed by Jesus Nazareno and the Virgin of Aranzazu for many centuries.
A photograph shot of Traslacion by Jubilee Gappi was chosen and exhibited in “Traslacion: Black Nazarene Exhibit” at SM Manila last year.
Christian Jasper Robles
Senior Writer, Website Team - Media Ministry
Christian is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He is a member of the writer’s team of Aranzazu Media and Public Information Ministry. A singer, performer, writer, church servant, and a Marian devotee. Currently, he is the secretary of Association of Our Lady of Aranzazu- Cofradia and member of Avant-Garde Singers. Passionate about writing different local religious traditions and Mariology matters; Christian is strongly dedicated in promoting and propagating the devotion to Our Lady of Aranzazu.
