Thursday, December 28, 2023
El Shaddai bares Santo Nino route on Grand Miracle Crusade 2024
The El Shaddai DWXI Prayer Partners Foundation International on Thursday bared the route for the 2024 Grand Massive Crusade gathering on January 20 to 22.
For the year’s celebration of the grand miracle crusade, the Foundation will use the same route for the grand gathering in 2020.
The 40-year-old gathering will take the following route:
- From Quirino Grandstand
- Right to Katigbak Drive (left side)
- Right to Padre Burgos St. through Finance Road
- Straight to Ayala Bridge
- Left to Palanca St.
- Right to Quezon Boulevard
- Right to Arlegui Street
- Right to Fraternal Street
- Right to Vergara Street
- Left to Duque de Alba Street
- Left to Castillejos Street
- Left to Farnecio Street
- Right to Arlegui Street
- Left to Nepomuceno Street
- Left to Conception Aguila Street
- Right to Carcer Street
- Right to Hidalgo through Plaza del Carmen
- Left to Bilibid Viejo through Gonzalo Puyat
- Left to J.P. de Guzman Street Right to Hidalgo Street
- Left to Quezon Boulevard
- Right to Palanca St. through under Quezon Bridge
- Right to Villalobos through Plaza Miranda going to Quiapo Church
- Left to Antonio Villegas Street
- Right to Natividad Almeda-Lopez Street
- Right to San Marcelino Street
- Right to Ayala Boulevard
- Left to D. Romualdez Street
- Right to Padre Faura Street
- Right to Apacible Street
- Right to Mahatma Gandhi Street
- Left to Angel Linao Street
- Right to Calixto Dyco Street
- Right to Syson Street
- Right to San Jorge Street
- Left to Nieto Street
- Right to Narra Street
- Right to Apitong Street
- Left to Dao Street
- Right to Lauan Street
- Right to Yakal Street
- Left to Mahogany Street
- Right to Tindalo Street
- Right to Narra Street
- Right to Guijo Street
- Left to Cristobal Street
- Right to Paz Street
- Right to Zulueta Street
- Right to Cuevas Street
- Left to Yangco Street
- Right to Leroy Street
- Right to Alfaro Street
- Right to Salvador Street
- Left to 13 de Agosto Street
- Right to Santo Speulcro Street
- Right to Lopez Jaena Street
- Left to Santiago Street
- Right to Sagat Street
- Right to Felina Street
- Right to Icasiano Street
- Left to Lanuza Street
- Right to Anak Bayan Street
- Right to Singalon Street
- Right to Tirona Benitez Street
- Left to Modesto Street
- Right San Pascual Street and
- Right to San Pedro Street
The Grand Miracle Crusade is on the second Saturday to the third Saturday of January and is an annual gathering that draws millions of Filipino devotees from all over the country.
The traditional Grand Miracle Crusade has not been held in the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, the El Shaddai DWXI Prayer Partners Foundation International said it was considering reinstating old practices for the celebration of the Santo Nino feast.
El Shaddai spokesperson Atty. Melquiades Robles said among these is encasing the image of the Black Nazarene in a glass case at the stage.
This is to protect the image of the Black Nazarene from possible damage while leaving a portion of the cross exposed to those who wish to touch it.
The Philippine National Police earlier said around 15,000 police personnel will be deployed to secure the activities of the 2020 Santo Nino feast which includes the traditional annual grand miracle crusade of the Catholic Charismatic group El Shaddai.
PNP '100% ready' for El Shaddai’s 40th grand massive crusade, transport strike
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday plans are in place to secure El Shaddai DWXI-Prayer Partners Fellowship International (El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI)'s 40th annual grand massive crusade at the Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park, Manila and respond to the three-day transport strike by some groups on January 20 to 22.
Speaking to reporters at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said more than 22,000 police officers would be deployed to secure the grand massive crusade.
“We are 100 percent ready for deployment and we are also in coordination with even private individuals. They are providing technical aspects (such as) CCTV coverage in all areas, as well as drones that we are going to deploy drones to make sure that all areas are covered when it comes to video in camera,” Azurin said.
He said the PNP has conducted simulation exercises, communication exercises, walk-throughs, clearing operations, and contingency planning in case of protest rallies.
“We will be deploying more or less mga 22,000 police personnel and part of this will be the Civil Disturbance Management and we can see we are preparing for the worst. Pero sana yung nakikita natin, mga pinapraktis natin, ay hindi na ma-exercise (Hopefully, what we have practiced would not be exercised). I hope and pray for the peaceful conduct of the rally and respect for each other,” Azurin said.
The country’s top cop likewise assured that maximum tolerance would be exercised.
“What we don't want is an escalation of violence, especially among those protesters. I am appealing to our fellow Filipinos who will be doing these rallies to make sure that they are in the exercise of their rights, not to trample on the rights of other people, including our police,” he said.
Azurin said the Manila Police District has been holding dialogues with various groups to ensure peaceful protest rallies.
He also assured that they are coordinating with intelligence units and the military to detect and curb any security threat.
Likewise, Azurin said the PNP would work with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other agencies to assist commuters who might be affected by the transport holiday.
“Magde-deploy din tayo ng mga buses on the PNP and even other agencies, magbibigay din, just to make sure that if there will be a vacuum created by this tigil pasada, this will be filled up by our interagency coordination (We will also deploy buses. Other agencies will also contribute just to make sure that any vacuum created by the transport strike would be filled up by our interagency coordination),” he said.
A total of 1,500 MMDA personnel have been tasked to manage both vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area, as well as assist in emergencies and conduct road and sidewalk clearing operations.
They will also support the operations of the Task Force El Shaddai Rally 2023, the Philippine National Police, the Manila Police District, the Presidential Security Group, and the Manila City Government.
The Annual Grand Massive Crusade of Catholic Charismatic group El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI is held every second Saturday to the third Monday of January every year at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila, since 1985. It is one of the world’s largest gatherings that is covered by all forms of mass media, including print, radio, television, and social media.
During the second day of the celebration coinciding with the feast of Santo Nino de Cebu, a three-in-a-half-hour closing liturgy of the international level World Youth Day celebration presided by Pope Francis. From 2014 to 2020, Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI served as concelebrants of the World Youth Day closing mass.
PNP: Around 15,000 cops to be deployed for Grand Miracle Crusade 2024
Around 15,000 police personnel will be deployed to secure the activities of the 2024 Santo Nino feast which includes the traditional annual grand miracle crusade of the Catholic Charismatic group El Shaddai, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.
“Around 15,000 po,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo told GMA News Online in a message.
For the conduct of the annual El Shaddai gathering from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church and CAVITEX in Kawit, Fajardo said over 5,600 personnel will be initially deployed.
During the final inter-agency meeting for the feast, authorities and organizers said they are expecting the number of attendees to reach the pre-pandemic record of around 2 to 10 million, Fajardo said.
The route that will be used for the grand miracle crusade will be the same as the one used in 2020, according to Fajardo.
Police will implement some restrictions in controlled areas in front of Quiapo Church and the streets and roads surrounding the chapel.
Physical distancing will be imposed during masses due to the risk of communicable diseases, Fajardo also said.
On Wednesday, the El Shaddai DWXI Prayer Partners Fellowship International said it is considering reinstating old practices for the celebration of the Santo Nino feast.
El Shaddai spokesperson Atty. Melquiades Robles said among these is encasing the image of the Black Nazarene on the stage.
The Grand Miracle Crusade of the Catholic Charismatic group El Shaddai is on the second Saturday to the third Monday of January and is an annual gathering that draws millions of Filipino and foreign devotees from all over the Philippines. The traditional grand miracle crusade was not held in the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fr. Carmelo Arada, Jr. of the Service Committee on Liturgy said a Sinulog rhythm and dance will be held before the concluding papal Mass on Jan. 21, feast of the Santo Niño.
He requested attendees "to bring images of the Santo Niño to join" the dance, to be led by devotees from the Archdiocese of Cebu.
He also asked them to bring candles for the end of the Mass, when the crowd will sing the 1995 World Youth Day anthem, "Tell the World of His Love."
'Bring the Philippines to the Pope'
The altar—including the papal chair and the table—will also carry Filipino designs, particularly that of the anahaw, the national leaf.
"If we can't bring the Pope to go around the Philippines, we'll bring elements of the Philippines close to the Pope," said Fr. Alex Bautista, the altar's designer. "The Filipino context [is] always incorporated in the design."
He said they were following the Vatican's call for subtlety in the design, while also incorporating the Filipino touch.
"In the design consideration for the liturgical space in Luneta, the concept is to serve the liturgical purpose, to reflect the Filipino character, and to [show] the simplicity of the vicar of Christ," he said.
The altar table, currently in its finishing stages in Laguna, has a base that resembles "a praying hand," with a marble table top serving as "a floating element… like lifting the gifts and offerings at the altar."
The anahaw leaf, the primary design element, symbolizes "the strength of the Filipino people," Bautista said.
He added that the other elements will be the cross with an orb to represent "Christ embracing the world"; doves to stand for "souls"; and bamboo flutings.
The marble top will be from Romblon, while the linen used will be white piña cloth from Laguna.
Meanwhile, the papal chair will bear the anahaw leaf and the papal seal, as well as "a Filipino good shepherd," the phrase "Ang Mabuting Pastol," and elements like a guava tree, which was incorporated there "because it has a healing quality."
Bautista said the papal chair and altar table, once painted, will have an accent of copper, which he said symbolizes the need for people to be "conductors of faith."
In a separate interview with GMA News Online, Bautista said that the anahaw leaves will have "a subtle" touch of yellow-green, adding that he will personally oversee the painting of the chair and the table.
Bautista also disclosed that he meant the phrase "Ang Mabuting Pastol" to be above the Pope's head so that photographs to be taken of the pontiff seated on it would be immediately recognized as being from this visit.
'No flowers'
Bautista added that the liturgical space—the stage at the Quirino Grandstand—will be adorned with flowers. Instead, they will use different kinds of plants.
"You will not see any flower to begin with," he said. "[We're using] San Francisco plant—very common in rural backyards … Pandan plant will be used also," he said.
He added that bamboo handicrafts from Bulacan, showcased usually at the province's Singkaban Festival, will be used "for the canopy."
The San Francisco plant, which relies on sunlight, is a reflection of "the faith of the people, from the sun, from the light, which is Christ."
He also told GMA News Online that the said plant will also be used because it has the same name as the pontiff.
Pope to speak Tagalog words
To accompany the altar's Filipino design, the Mass will feature the language of the Philippines, both in words and in music.
Arada says the intercessions "will be prayed in the different Filipino languages," including Tagalog. Responses, meanwhile, will be in Tagalog and English.
The Pope will also speak a few words in English, as he leads the congregation in the Profession of Faith.
"The profession of faith, 'yung 'Sumasampalataya,' will be led by the Holy Father. Maririnig po natin ang Santo Papa na magsabing 'Sumasampalataya ako,'" he said.
After the first phase, the congregation will sing the profession of faith along with the Pope, Arada said in a separate interview.—VAL, GMA Integrated News