The sudden downpour and the heat that followed it failed to dampen the fervor of the devotees of the Black Nazarene as they wove around the route of the Traslacion in a sea of faith and devotion on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
A sudden downpour occurred at around 5:15 a.m., just a few minutes before the procession started at the Quirino Grandstand at around 5 a.m.
Devotees said that no matter what the weather was, rain or shine or even a storm, would not stop them from expressing their faith to the Black Nazarene.
One of them, Mathilde, 70, has been a devotee for more than 30 years now.
She said she has been joining yearly the activities for the Black Nazarene to pray for a good and long life.
“Tatlong taon din natigil ang prusisyon, kaya ngayong bumalik na eh hindi hadlang ang ulan—rain or shine, ika nga. Bahala na basta magawa lang naming mamanata sa poong Nazareno (The procession was stopped for three years, so now that it's back, the rain would not deter us from continuing our devotion to the Black Nazarene),” she said.
Henry, a 61-year-old, and also a devotee for more than 30 years, said that no weather can stop them as the procession only happens once a year.
He also said that it was their way to show their sacrifices in return for the blessings that they had received.
Meanwhile, Nora, 56, said she and her grandson arrived from Nueva Ecija to attend and join the mass and procession at the Quirino Grandstand.
“Dalangin ko lang ay mawala na ang sakit ng apo ko, sakitin kase yung apo ko kaya itong biglaang pag-ulan hindi talaga problema kasi minsan lang naman sa isang taon na sakripisyo ang pagsama rito (I just pray that my grandson's sickness will go away, my grandson is so sickly, so this sudden rain is not a problem because being here and sacrificing like this happen only once a year),” she said.
Tito, 60, who came with his wife, said that being devotees for around 10 years now has changed their lives for the better.
“Malaki ang pagbabago simula ng maging deboto kami, hindi lang ang sarili ko (ang nabago), kundi pamumuhay namin… kaya hindi alintana itong pag-ulan, kahit nga bumagyo pa talagang pupunta kami rito dahil ‘yan ang panata namin (There have been a lot of changes since we became devotees, not only have I changed myself for the better, but our life... so regardless of the rain, even if there is a storm, we will come here because that is our devotion),” he said.