As the liturgical calendar goes in its annual cycle, the Church associates “the return of dates and seasons with the remembrance of past events.” (Dies Domini 76) Remembrance of these decisive events is then celebrated by people in a festive manner which gives vibrance and disrupts the monotone atmosphere of
The World Meeting of Families (WMOF) was created by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II in 1994, coinciding with the United Nations’ declaration of that same year as the “International Year of the Family”. The 1st World Meeting of Families held in Rome on October 8 and 9 that year
Fifty days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost. On this feast day that concludes the Easter season, Catholics celebrate the beginning of the Church. The word Pentecost is derived from the Greek word “pentecoste” which means fiftieth. In Christian tradition, the faithful celebrate at
Laudato Si’ Week is an annual anniversary celebration of the “world-changing” encyclical letter of Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ – On Care for our Common Home signed by His Holiness on the 24th of May 2015. The annual celebration has been a way for Catholics worldwide to unite and participate in
Chrism Mass is a Holy Mass celebrated by the bishop at the diocese’s cathedral church on Holy Thursday morning. Joined by the priests of the diocese, the celebration manifests the priests’ unity with their bishop. In the celebration, the bishop blesses three oils, namely the oil of catechumens, the oil
The final Sunday of Lent, which also serves as the beginning of Holy Week is called Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. On this day, the Catholic Church celebrates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, days before his passion and death on the cross. In the Gospels,
Saint Pedro Calungsod, also known as Peter Calungsod or Pedro Calonsor, is a young Filipino Catholic migrant canonized Saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. He was an altar server and a missionary catechist who migrated to Guam with Spanish Jesuit Missionary, Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores. There, along
Other than the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday), priests also don rose-colored vestments on the fourth Sunday of Lent which the church calls Laetare Sunday. Similar to the meaning of Gaudete, the Latin word Laetare as well means “rejoice”. On Laetare Sunday, the Catholic Church which observes fasting and
Six months after the annunciation of John’s birth to Zechariah, the angel of God, Archangel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth in Galilee. There, he was sent to announce to the Virgin Mary the birth of the Son of the Most High – Jesus. Early Christians first celebrated the feast of
