Quiapo Church Rector Monsignor Hernando Coronel has expressed hope for a better year ahead as he prayed for all the faithful this coming 2021.
In his homily during a recent Simbang Gabi, the parish priest of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene or Quiapo Church in Manila urged the more than 1,000 churchgoers who attended the votive mass “to continue to strengthen their faith by trusting the Lord despite the difficulties experienced in 2020 like the pandemic and several calamities.”
“I am praying to the Black Nazarene, our Mahal na Poong Hesus Nazareno, for a better 2021, for this COVID-19 pandemic to end. Let us continue to put our trust in God,” Coronel said.
The Quiapo Church continues to implement strict safety protocols such as physical distancing, the use of foot bath and alcohol dispensers, and temperature check to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Coronel reminded the devotees of the Black Nazarene “to follow the health protocols for their own safety. I pray that we will be able to go back to the normal way of going to church and spending time with God soon.”
The Hijos and the members of the Philippine National Police are implementing the safety measures in and around the Quiapo Church. Entrance to the church is on Palanca St. while exit points are on Carriedo St. and Quezon Boulevard.