Good Evening! What I have listed here are the different celebrations and religious activities we performed annually. These are based on my own experiences. Unfortunately, due to covid, we didn't perform some activities we planned before. But we did some adjustments just to still honor every activities of the church.
Our parish church is Our Lady of the Assumption Parish.
A. New Year
Every year, before New Year, December 31, a holy mass is being offered at exactly 10:00 in the evening in the Our Lady of Assumption Parish (OLAP), Guinobatan, Albay.
B. World Day Of The Sick
This was celebrated every February 11. The OLAP family offers a holy mass in the Church. After mass, every priest in the parish is visiting the old ones especially those who are experiencing senility. Priests usually do home visitation to the sick in order to pray for their fast healing and recover.
Due to Covid, the priests are prohibited to conduct the house-to-house visit because it was in the memorandum released by the Diocese and we are following the safety protocols.
C. Lenten Season
Lenten Season is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before the Easter Sunday. During Ash Wednesday, a Priest or a Lay Minister marks a symbol of cross through some kind of ash in the forehead of a person, which reminds us that we all came from dust therefore, we will return as dust. During this season, fasting and abstinence are strictly practiced.
Another religious activity for this season is the “Youth Diocesan Way of the Cross” wherein people pray the Holy Rosary while walking together. They also added songs in their praising.
When the Holy Week came, consecutive masses are offered in the church starting from Palm Sunday to Black Saturday. The priests also offer confession during this week. There is also what they call “Tunton” wherein children are dressed like an angel and plays and special role in welcoming the Easter Sunday. During Easter Sunday, a mass is also being offered.
We are still celebrating Lenten Season today because we are just celebrating the 2nd week that Jesus is born. And because also of Covid, some activities were stopped such as the procession, "tunton", and other activities.
D. Flores De Mayo
This celebration happens during the month of May. During this season, there is a Santa Cruzan wherein beauties of the women are shown and Patron Saints are included. A procession also follows that visits all the nearby barangays in the town. There is also a Pentecostal Celebration wherein, all the religious organizations have their renewal of vows.
As of today, there are still no decisions whether we will hold a Santacruzan or not. But I think, they wouldn't allow it. Maybe we will just pray inside our chapels.
E. Our Lady of the Assumption Feast Day
The celebration of Our Lady of the Assumption Feast Day is done during August 15. The celebration usually starts from August 1 and ends on August 15. Nine (9) days before the Feast Day, an evening Novena is offered in the church every 6:00 in the evening. Our Lady of the Assumption also visits the chapel of every Barangay in their hometown.
However, the night before the Feast Day, a procession takes place before the evening Novena. On the day of the Feast Day, the day starts with a mass starting from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., to be followed by 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., then by 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and the last mass for the morning is the 9:30 a.m. mass also known as the “Concelebrated mass” wherein a Bishop is the one who leads the mass. After mass, a baptism and confirmation is also being done. In the afternoon, there is a mass at 5:00 a.m. to be followed by a procession.
F. The Month of the Holy Rosary
The month of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on the month of October. The church offers a prayer of the Holy Rosary throughout the month starting from October 1 to October 31. There is also a Pilgrimage, which was joined especially by students. This is one way of sacrificing by walking and praying the Holy Rosary. This is usually done in the first week of the Month.
G. All Saints Day and All Soul’s Day
During All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day, there is a holy mass in the cemetery starting from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., while in the evening, a 6:00 p.m. mass is being offered. There is also a tradition where family and friends of the dead ones visit their love ones in the Cemetery and offered them a prayer and lighting their graveyard a candle with flowers.
Last year, the visiting hours in cemetery was only limited. And about 50% of the population in every barangay was allowed to go. Also, the church scheduled every barangay on when will they visit to avoid crowds and still practice safety protocols.
H. Christmas Day
Christmas Day is celebrated during the 25th of December. Nine (9) days before Christmas, a “Simbang Gabi” is offered. It usually starts at December 15 early in the morning at 4:30. During the Christmas Day, a mass is also offered staring from 5:00 a.m. onwards.
Not doing the things we used to do before is really a life-changing. Imagine, you are used to do everything every now and then but it was all prohibited all of a sudden. We are still adjusting. We are still coping in this new normal. We just hope that everything will be back to normal. Keep praying an fighting!
