The Black Nazarene is a wooden statue of the suffering Christ as he carries his cross up to Mount Calvary.
In the 17th century, a ship left Mexico, carrying this life-sized figure of Jesus. It arrived in Manila on May 31, 1606, and was delivered to the Augustinian Recollect Friars who ministered there.
At first, people thought the statue's dark color had been purposely done by its Aztec carver. But that wasn't true. On the trip, the ship caught fire and the statue's wood was charred. Over the years, the statue would survive two more fires (which destroyed two of the churches where the statue had been venerated), two earthquakes, and the liberation of Manila in 1945.
Today the Black Nazarene is located at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Manila. It's thought to have miraculous healing powers, curing the person who touches it.
Besides today, January 9, the Black Nazarene statue is also featured in processions on New Year's Day and on Good Friday.
- Little Blue Book, Diocese of Saginaw