NATIONAL CITY — “We should thank God for how grounded we are in our history together, not only just within our culture, but also within our faith.”
That is how Father Chris Bongato began his homily at the vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity on May 30 at St. Mary Church.
He was celebrating three milestones: the 100th anniversary of St. Mary Parish; the Filipino Santacruzan tradition, whose centerpiece is a colorful procession; and his first liturgy as the diocese’s new vicar for Ethnic and Intercultural Communities.
The faithful filled every pew and lined the back and sides of the church. The parish congregation is mainly comprised of Filipino and Mexican families, which share a common heritage. Spain ruled Mexico and the Philippines for about 300 years. The Spanish colonizers, particularly Catholic missionaries, profoundly shaped both cultures. Indeed, Tagalog and Spanish blended seamlessly during the day’s liturgy and procession.
The Mass was part of the second annual Santacruzan celebration organized by the Diocesan Commission for Filipino Catholics. The celebration is a popular Filipino devotion that honors the Virgin Mary and comes at the end of a month of floral offerings and rosaries for her, called Flores de Mayo.
“The Santacruzan tradition is deeply rooted in our Catholic faith and Filipino heritage,” said Yolamarie Arguilla, a commission leader and longtime member of St. Mary’s Parish, in opening remarks at the Mass.
She explained that the tradition commemorates the epic search by St. Helena and her son, Emperor Constantine, in the early 4th century for the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified.
“Through faith and perseverance, the True Cross was discovered in Jerusalem, a powerful reminder that salvation comes through the cross of Christ,” she said.
“As we celebrate this centennial year, may we remember that for 100 years this parish has carried the cross of Christ through generations, in times of joy and friendship, in mission and service, and in prayer and sacrifice,” she continued. “We honor the faith of those who came before us and entrust the future of our Church to the next generation.”
The parish is planning a centennial celebration on Nov. 14, the date of its dedication in 1926.
The Mass began with 23 small girls, representing angels, processing into the church. Several held letters that spelled out “Ave Maria” to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Next entered 23 devotees of Mary, called Damas de Maria, dressed in traditional Filipino gowns, holding fresh flowers.
They were followed by the liturgical procession, which included Father Nemesio Sungcad, pastor of the parish; the assistant pastor, Father Jorge Mante; Father Manuel Ediza, of St. Michael Parish (Paradise Hills); Father Elmer Mandac, of Good Shepherd Parish; and Father Ed Serrano, a jail chaplain.
In his homily, Father Bongato challenged the Mass-goers to delve deeper into the day’s celebrations, the Most Holy Trinity and Santacruzan.
“If we stay with shallow definitions, we don’t allow such powerful celebrations to transform us.”
He said that references to the “holy trinity” of things, like three cooking ingredients, have seeped into popular culture.
“That’s not right. We have allowed religious language to slip into our everyday common-speak, and if we stay there, we allow that to shape our religious notions instead of the other way around.”
He said that God is not made up of three parts, and when the three are combined, “like a Power Ranger or something,” they make a perfect God.
“God is not meant to be understood as three independent entities” that make the one whole. Rather, the concept is harder to grasp, he continued.
“It is a great mystery of our faith that we can barely comprehend it, but we have to pay attention to how God has revealed himself to us.
“The Son reveals the Father to us. And the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, makes known who Jesus is, and in turn, the Father.”
He said that in the very being of God, there is a community of Persons united perfectly in love.
“God is love, perfect and infinite.”
In unconditional love, he said, “there is a beloved, a lover, and a love in between.”
“The Father is the lover, the Son is the beloved, the Holy Spirit is the love in between.”
Jesus showed how this true love is expressed, he said, and it is up to the faithful to apply those lessons in their daily lives.
Then Father Bongato, who was born in the Philippines, turned to the day’s other celebration, Santacruzan, which highlights the search for the Holy Cross.
“St. Helena led excavations, moving all these rocks to find the True Cross of Christ … This is something that we have to dig up for ourselves, figuratively speaking, to seek the True Cross of our faith, which gives us salvation.”
He challenged the next generation “to also shake the dust off and find what’s underneath, see what the treasure our faith is.”
After the vigil Mass, the faithful moved outside for a grand procession on the streets around the church, located on East 7th Street. A total of 15 parishes and groups participated, Arguilla said later in an interview. In addition to St. Mary, the parishes included Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, St. John of the Cross, St. Michael (Paradise Hills), St. Columba, St. Charles, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Good Shepherd, and Precious Blood. The groups included the Filipino-American Association for Developmental Disabilities (FAADD) and Cursillo.
The procession was made up of historical, biblical and Marian characters, led by the Queen of Peace. It included 23 reinas, young queens dressed in beautiful gowns, each escorted by a young man in traditional attire. They walked under arches, known as arcos, adorned with fresh and brightly colored paper flowers.
Men pushed three carrozas, or carts, beautifully decorated with fresh flowers carrying statues of Our Lady of Manaoag, Our Lady of Fatima and the Virgin Mary.
Groups of musicians accompanied the entire procession playing “Dios Te Salve,” a traditional Santacruzan song that blended into the urban sounds of a residential neighborhood in the early evening.
“The procession is not merely a cultural parade or display of beauty. Each queen and symbol represent Christian virtues and biblical values,” Arguilla had explained in her opening remarks. “The Santacruzan teaches us about faith, hope, charity, humility, purity and obedience to God. Above all, it points us to Jesus Christ, who gave his life on the cross out of love for humanity.”
She said that the goals of the celebration, as with the other ones organized by the Filipino Catholic community, were to preserve and share traditions, and to involve and inspire children and young adults to continue their faith journey.
Her hope for the day’s events:
“May this celebration renew our devotion and strengthen our unity as one diocesan family and inspire us to continue living as faithful witnesses of Christ.”
