Diocesan Filipinos mark five centuries since Catholicism came to Philippines

ROCKAWAY  On Easter Sunday 500 years ago, the Spanish missionaries on the islands of the Philippines brought their Catholic faith to the people there and half a millennium later, generations of Filipinos have continued to pass on the faith. Today, the Philippines is the third largest Catholic country in the world. This moment in Filipino history is being marked in a yearlong celebration that began on Easter this year. The theme of the jubilee celebration is “Gifted to Give.”

On Aug. 1, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney marked the celebration of 500 years of Catholicism in the Philippines with Mass in Sacred Heart of Jesus Church here. Filipinos from across the Diocese attended the special celebration, which featured a Jubilee Cross that is traveling from parish to parish in the Diocese and Archdiocese of Newark. The Jubilee Cross will be at Sacred Heart Church until Sept. 4 and then continue on to another church in northern New Jersey.

In his opening remarks at the start of the Mass, the Bishop said, “What a joy it is to be together especially with our Filipino community in our Diocese of Paterson to celebrate 500 years of evangelization, of the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel, and the gift of our Catholic faith that came to our Filipino people and has grown over the centuries.”

The Mass was coordinated by the Diocesan Com­mission of Catholic Filipino Ministries (DCCFM). Priests from around the Diocese concelebrated the Mass including Father Pawel Bala, pastor of Sacred Heart, and Father Vidal Gonzales, pastor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church in Sparta, who serves as adviser to the DCCFM. The celebration featured many cultural elements including statues of the Santo Niño (the Child Jesus) and Our Lady of Manaoag and a liturgical dance by Cebu Inc. The Alay Awit Chorale, which is comprised entirely of Filipinos from parishes around the Diocese, provided the music for the celebration.

In his homily, the Bishop spoke about the Universal Church and the many expressions, languages, and cultures of the different people, all part of the Catholic faith. “We are reminded of the gift of that faith, which is universal,” the Bishop said, “Jesus came and suffered and died and rose for us. Gave us the Holy Spirit from the Father. Gave us the gift of the Church and as he told his apostles before his Ascension, to go to the ends of the earth and baptize all.”

He told the Filipinos, “As the Church of our Diocese, we give thanks for the faith of our Filipino Catholic community and for all that you do to teach catechism and religious education and to raise your children and grandchildren to participate in parish life.”

The Bishop also mentioned in his homily the Filipino priests ordained for the Diocese of Paterson and said, “Vocations come from families and we should always thank and recognize the parents of our priests. We invite and encourage our families to have that same openness.”

Reflecting on the theme, “Gifted to Give,” the Bishop said, “Today we celebrate this year of giving thanks for the gift of our faith not only looking to the past but realizing the next step and the work we have to do.”

After the Mass, a reception was held featuring Filipino dishes provided by members of the DCCFM.

Father Bala and Father Gonzales shared remarks of thanks after the Mass. Elmer Maximo, president of the DCCFM, who is a parishioner of Sacred Heart, in return thanked both priests and said, “I’m immensely grateful to the good Lord for the opportunity of celebrating the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines in our parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Rockaway. Big thanks to our pastor, Father Pawel Bala, for his unwavering support to the growing Filipino community in our parish. An overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the continuous help and guidance from our parishioners, friends, sponsors, and to my DCCFM family, especially to our adviser, Father Vidal Gonzales.”

According to jubilee organizers, Catholicism came to the Philippines with the European discovery of the archipelago. The explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, set foot on the islands in 1521 and planted a cross on the island of Cebu, birthplace of Christi­anity in the Philippines. There, he spearheaded the conversion of Rajah Humabon and his consort, Harah Amihan, who took the baptismal names Carlos and Juana (after the Spanish king and queen mother).

The Mass at Sacred Heart is part of monthly Filipino Masses taking place on the first Sunday of the month in the Filipino language. Nine diocesan priests, who are Filipino, are the concelebrants of these Masses. The next Masses will be on Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. to be celebrated by Father Lem Camacho, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Dover, and on Oct. 3 at noon to be celebrated by Father Nico Quintos, parochial vicar of St. Philip the Apostle Church in Clifton.

In addition, the annual diocesan feast day celebration in honor of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod, two Filipino martyrs, will be marked on Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson with Bishop Sweeney as the main celebrant.

Later in the year, St. Anthony of Padua Church in Passaic will host the Jubilee Cross from Feb. 6 to March 5, 2022. The cross is a replica of the cross that Magellan planted on the island of Cebu for the first Mass celebrated on March 31, 1521.

At a Mass on March 14 this year, Pope Francis marked the 500th anniversary at the Vatican, commemorating the arrival of the Gospel of Jesus in the Philippines. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila and now prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, concelebrated the Mass.

Maximo said, “The Filipino spirit of ‘Pagkakaisa at Bayanihan’ is very much alive and truly present in our Diocese. We are honored to welcome the pilgrims following the journey of the Jubilee Cross along with images of the Santo Niño and Our Lady of Manaoag. ‘Tuloy po kayo sa aming parokya’ (Welcome to our parish).”