On January 6, 2024, we gathered at St. Martha Church, The Passionist Community in Jerusalem, to celebrate the Feast Day of Jesus Black Nazarene. This marked the second year of honoring Nazareno here in Israel.
Our festivities began at 9:30 in the morning, starting with the novena for the Black Nazarene, followed by the Traslacion around the garden of Sta. Martha. The procession was graced by the Nuncio, the Passionist priests, priests from different communities, Passionist volunteers, and all Black Nazarene devotees. Compared to the first celebration, this year saw a larger turnout of devotees joining the feast.
During the procession, we paused at the cave (Bahay ni Martha), also known as the Shrine of the Black Nazarene. Here, the Nuncio and Passionist Priests—namely, Fr. Ramel Poquita, Fr. Mark Tobias, Fr. Erick Funtanares, and Fr. Bensen Valiyavetil descended into the cave, blessing it with incense. We then continued the procession to the church, where at 10:30, the solemn Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Adolfo Tito C. Yllana (Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine), joined by Passionist priests and priests from various communities. This day also marked the Archbishop's 22nd Episcopal Ordination, and during the Mass, Fr. Ramel Poquita surprised the Nuncio with a cake for his episcopal anniversary, accompanied by a song.
After the mass, attendees gathered at the basketball court of Sta. Martha, where tables of packed foods awaited. An hour later, we convened in front of St. Martha Church for the raffle draw of the Fundraising Project of St. Martha. The prizes included:
10 consolation prizes worth $100 each.
Prizes worth $1000 and $2000 for the runner-ups; and
The grand prize winner received $3,000 in cash.
It was a day of joy, especially for the winners. Congratulations to all!
The Passionist priests, along with the Passionist volunteers, express heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in the celebration of the Feast of Jesus the Black Nazarene. It was a resounding success.
Viva! Jesus, the Black Nazarene!
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