QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- The St. John the Baptist Parish, more popularly known as Quiapo Church, has been elevated to an archdiocesan shrine.

This, following petition to the Archdiocese of Manila by the parish’s Rector, Fr. Rufino Sescon Jr, Cardinal Jose Advincula gave his approval to the new shrine in a decree dated May 10, 2023.

“We hereby decree that the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene – St John the Baptist Parish (Quiapo Church), be conferred the title of the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Black Nazarene,” Advincula decreed.

The parish’s new status was formally announced Wednesday during Mass presided over by Fr. Reginald Malicdem, the archdiocese’s vicar general.

According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the parish’s new status was formally announced Wednesday during Mass presided over by Fr. Reginald Malicdem, the archdiocese’s vicar general.

In his homily, the priest said that for the parish church to be declared as an archdiocesan shrine is “long overdue.”

“But for us devotees, whether there is a formal declaration, or none is made, this church is a real shrine because here we feel the presence of God,” Malicdem said.

“In this place we experience the mercy, compassion, peace, and love of God for us,” he added.

The Quiapo Church is home to the revered image of the Black Nazarene, which attracts millions during its annual procession every January 9.

In 1987, St. John Paul II elevated the church as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene because of its role in strengthening a deep popular devotion to Jesus Christ and its cultural contribution to the religiosity of Filipinos.

Meanwhile, Sescon earlier announced their plan to push for the elevation of Quiapo Church as a national shrine. (CBCP/PIA-NCR)

Photos courtesy of Quiapo Church Facebook page.