ARTICLES

Filipino Festival to be held July 8 at Cathedral

By Dr. Emmanuel E. Eugenio
Special to The Catholic Virginian

On Sunday, July 8, the first Filipino Diocesan Pilgrimage will be held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart beginning at 1:30 p.m. Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo will preside at the celebration whose theme is “Tambuli ng Panginoon (God’s Call).”

Spearheaded by the Filipino Commission members, it is hoped that parishioners will gather in a moment of history — a liturgy to be celebrated in a repertoire of songs, dances, readings and processions.

Many wonder how we, as Asian-looking people with Spanish-sounding surnames, are equally confident with our Oriental heritage as we are comfortable with our western ways. I think a lot of that has something to do with the arrival of the Christian faith in our homeland of origin, the archipelago of the Philippine Republic.

On Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, Fr. Pedro de Valderrama, chaplain of Ferdinand Magellan, celebrated the first Mass on Limasawa Island in Leyte, Philippines, after making friends with the island king, Rajah Kolambu.

That established the religious exchanges between the Filipinos and the European cultures. Roman Catholic schools and universities that were founded are among the oldest in the world and many of them are presently thriving.

In Virginia, Filipinos arrived around World War II as Navy service men and as health professionals in the Hampton Roads areas. To date, in our Diocese of Richmond, there are about 35,000 Filipino Catholics. Many of them are in the Tidewater area while growing populations are in the Richmond, Roanoke, and Danville areas.

We consider our parish as the focal reference of our community life, much akin to how towns in pre-War Philippines were centered around the cathedrals. Our Catholic heritage is highly communal and devotional as we participate in novenas and gather for fiestas to celebrate the anniversaries of our inspirational icons such as Our Lady of Manaoag and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Priests are greatly revered as spiritual leaders. Many of us carry the tradition that to serve as a family in our church ministries is a priority and an honor.

With the encouragement of Bishop DiLorenzo, the Filipino Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond was formed in 2005. The current members come from the Richmond, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News and Williamsburg parishes.

It is our vision to represent the Filipino community, a valued integral part of the diocese, contributing our unique gifts and talents for the enrichment of the Church. We shall assist the Bishop and the Diocesan Church in welcoming, empowering and affirming our faith.

We will support our church in becoming more inclusive of all cultures in its journey towards harmony in faith. We are currently recruiting Filipino contacts in each parish so that we would effectively address their concerns with the diocesan ministries. Our Commission is here to advocate for recognizing the needs of Filipino Catholics.

A reception and fellowship will follow the liturgy at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on July 8.

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