10 January 2017 – The Filipino Pastoral Community of Our Lady of Pompei Church in downtown Manhattan together with the Boston Friends and Devotees of Poong Hesus Nazareno, and the Hermanas and Hermanos held a solemn mass to commemorate the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 08.

The High Mass which also doubled as a celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany was concelebrated by Fr. Walter Tonelotto, Pastor of Our Lady of Pompei and Fr. Jonathan Loverita, a priest from Samar and currently the Parochial Vicar of the parish.

As part of its on-going parish and faith-based community outreach and information drive program, the Philippine Consulate General in New York represented by Consul General Theresa Dizon-de Vega and Pag-IBIG Fund New York Officer Michael Azucena participated in the event.

Fr. Tonelotto in his homily noted that the Feast of the Epiphany is essentially also the story of the Migrant Filipino Community who like the Magi went on a journey in search of a better life for themselves and their families.

Echoing the statements of Fr. Tonelotto, Consul General De Vega also spoke about how the Consulate is working closely and connecting with various faith-based organizations in the US Northeast in ensuring that the government is ready to assist Filipinos in their respective journeys in the US Northeast.

Aside from the Mass, the Filipino Community members, many of whom are devotees of the Black Nazarene took part in procession featuring an image of the Black Nazarene which is enshrined in the Our Lady of Pompei Church.

The New York event takes place close to the date of the commemoration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila which attracts over a million devotees annually. END