Simbang Gabi
December 15, 2011 by chucha
Filed under Featured Articles
Christmas in the Philippines won’t be complete without the Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo that kicks off in the wee hours of the morning of December 16 yearly. This has been an annual tradition in the land which started since the Spanish colonization.
Simbang Gabi started in 1669 when the friars decided to have masses early in the morning for the farmers who wanted to hear mass but couldn’t leave their lands. Simbang Gabi is done during the advent season in preparation for Christmas. This is usually held during midnight, hence the name Simbang Gabi. Today, masses are held early in the morning for nine days starting the 16th of December until the 24th of December. This is a long-standing tradition for about 600 years already.
Simbang Gabi is also known as Misa de Gallo means “Rooster’s Mass” in English. It is a customary belief during those times that a rooster, noted for its early morning crow, would be the first to witness the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day.
A lot of Filipinos anticipates the start of Simbang Gabi not only to fulfill their devotion to the Catholic Church, but also for the unique Filipino delicacies that awaits outside the gates of the church after the mass such as bibingka, puto bumbong, tsokolate, salabat and many more.
Through the years, the Catholic Community in the Philippines have made some changes in celebrating Simbang Gabi, some parishes in the city now celebrates Simbang Gabi at night, around 8 to 9 in the evening in order to accommodate the needs of the other members of the community who have different work schedules.
One popular belief during Simbang Gabi is that if the church-goer completes the nine consecutive masses of Simbang Gabi (that is from Decemer 16-December 24) without break, wishes will be granted.
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Loading ...Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Malolos City, Bulacan)
Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception or the Basilica Minore dela Nuestra Señora de Immaculada Concepcion is the ecclesiastical seat of the Diocese of Malolos. The Neo-Classical church is located in front of the municipal hall. It is originally built using light materials in 1591. A century later in 1691, it was once again rebuilt and extended by Fr. Barrionuevo. Fr. Sanchez in 1740 rebuilt the church using strong materials. It was completed in 1740 under the supervision of Fr. De Meseguer. Minor restorations were done in 1753 by Fr. De Vivar and both were destroyed by flames in 1813.
The current church was started in 1819 by Fr. Melchor Fernandez and consecrated on October of 1826. An earthquake severely damaged the church in June 1863 and it was restored from 1859-1872 by Fr. Moreno. Starting 1963, a lot of renovations and restorations were pursued by Engineer Alfredo Aldaba, affecting the dome, façade, transept and main altar. Both the church and the convent were blessed in 1976 by Rev. Bruno Torpigliani, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.
Style and Design
A semi circular arch in its lower part which served as the predominant feature of this Cathedral-Basilica. It possesses a moderately-decorated, symmetrical façade divided into three segments by superposition Doric columns and dominated by large, semicircular arched openings on the first level. The triangular pediment, decorated by an Augustinian Emblem at the center, is topped by acroteria and torch-like finials. The horizontal Doric frieze is decorated with triglyphs and the fluted pilaster-flanked, statued niche is topped by a segmented canopy crowning the tilted frame of the center window. The cathedral-basilica has a slender, four-storey belfry on its right, topped by a Marian statue and the convent is located on the opposite end.
Marian Statue at the belfry
The statue of the Immaculate Concepcion seated on the topmost portion of the belfry was made before the Second World War – this is according to a reliable information (source: Wikipedia). The piece was made by Donding Ople, a gifted artist who was orphaned at a very young age. The original work is kept private but the statue at the high enclosure behind the main altar is a perfect replication of the original. A lot of devotees come for the image of the Immaculate Concepcion.
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