IN PHOTOS: Devotees hold dry run of Nazareno procession

Quiapo church holds a practice session for devotees who will participate in the procession of the Black Nazarene on January 9

Jansen Romero

Published 1:00 PM, January 07, 2015

Updated 1:01 PM, January 07, 2015

FAITH. Veteran devotees practice pulling the cart of the Black Nazarene. Photo by Jansen Romero/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – The Feast of the Black Nazarene, set on Friday, January 9, is the country's biggest annual religious gathering attended by millions of devotees.

Its most iconic ritual is the "Traslacion" or the transfer of the Black Nazarene. Thousands will join a procession where the black icon is paraded across the city.

Most devotees will do everything to touch the image, a 17th-century mulatto image of Jesus Christ believed to be miraculous.

The city of Manila announced Monday, January 5, that the feast this year will be a dry run for the visit of Pope Francis, happening the following week, January 15 to 19. The city will mobilize all its resources during the two events.

On Tuesday, January 6, Quiapo church held a practice session for devotees who will pull the image's cart. A young devotee, Leonard Ilostres, joined others in the dry run.