400 attendees per Mass allowed in Quiapo Church on Jan. 9

FILE: Devotees use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun while attending mass outside the famous Quiapo Church on Sunday (Sept. 13, 2020). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA – A maximum of 400 devotees would be allowed inside the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, known as Quiapo Church, in each of the 15 Masses to be held during its feast day on Saturday.

“Inside the Quiapo Church, only 400 people are allowed to attend the Mass. We will be celebrating 15 Masses on January 9. We will accommodate a maximum of 6,000 devotees on that day,” Alex Irasga, a member of the Technical Working Group of Traslacion 2021, said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Irasga said once the number has been reached, they will no longer allow people inside the basilica.

He urged those who will able to go inside the Quiapo Church to attend masses at nearby Sta. Cruz and San Sebastian churches.

Aside from the two churches, Irasga said they will be setting up LED (light-emitting diode) screens in areas within the vicinity of the basilica where the people can also watch and hear Masses.

“We will be putting up LED billboards in Quezon Boulevard, Carlos Palanca, Carriedo, Plaza Lacson, and Villalobos Streets, where people will be able to watch the Masses inside the church,” he added.

The queuing for those who would like to attend Masses inside the basilica will start at 4 a.m. or 30 minutes before the scheduled first Mass on Saturday, at Villalobos Street.

Meanwhile, Msgr. Hernando Coronel, Quiapo Church rector, reiterated his appeal to the people to celebrate the feast in their houses and watch the Eucharistic Celebrations online.

“We are appealing to our fellow devotees that they can pray for our safety inside our homes and watch the Masses on TV Maria and online platforms,” he said.

He added that the basilica will be closed at midnight on January 10 due to the curfew by the government amid the coronavirus pandemic.