October 2015

archive

Home October 2015

CALL OF ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE TO READ THE LETTER AND TAKE THE SURVEY

Archbishop Lori has written a very important pastoral letter on evangelization-based parish planning which will be used by every parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore this year to begin planning where and how the Catholic Church will serve the people of our archdiocese in the future.  The letter is entitled: A Light Brightly Visible-Lighting the Path to Missionary Discipleship.

A Pastoral Letter on Evangelization

Like many parishioners throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore, we, Filipino parishioners, we need to participate, look at, and study the changing demographics of our parish community to determine how and where the Church can best serve.

There is a parish based planning process, which will not be a “top down” effort but will include decisions made at the parish level and I need you, Filipino Catholics to participate.

The first step in this process is to read the Archbishop’s pastoral letter so that we can all have a sense of what this planning process is about.  The letter and a video of the Archbishop explaining the “spirit” of this planning process, which is being called Be Missionary Disciples, can be found  by going to bemissionarydisciples.org website

Please do take a few minutes to read the pastoral letter and take the survey.

Fr. Pete

Read More →

September 20, 2015

2:00pm – Eucharistic Celebration After the Mass, there will be a Procession around the Cathedral followed by Fiesta Salu-salo  

CATHEDRAL OF MARY OF OUR QUEEN

5200 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21210  

Please invite your family and friends and together let us all celebrate the 5th Archdiocese of Baltimore Filipino Celebration honoring San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod  

Filipino Families are Called to be Brave Missionary Disciples  

Filipino Saints Triduum – September 16, 17, 18, 2015

After the 5:30pm Mass at Cathedral of Mary our Queen

Read More →

Schedule [See full image]

“GOD’S MERCY: THE REASON AND DIRECTION OF ADVENT OF CHRIST.”

We begin the Jubilee year of Mercy by celebrating “Simbang Gabi” to meditate on God’s compassion: the reason and direction of Christ’ coming.  Because of the Love and Mercy of God, the Son of God, Jesus, is given to us, that we may also become merciful to others.  When mercy reigns, “God is with us .”   Be compassionate as Your Father is compassionate to you.

Dec 15 @ 7pmSt. Jude
308 N. Paca St. Baltimore, MD
 Dec 16 @ 7pm Immaculate Conception Church
200 Ware Ave., Towson, MD
Dec 17 @ 7pm St. Joseph Church Fullerton
  8420 Belair Road, Baltimore, MD
 Dec 18 @ 7pm St. Louis Church Clarksville
12500 Clarksville Pike Clarksville, MD
 Dec 19 @ 6pm Immaculate Heart of Mary – Loch Raven
8501 Loch Raven Baltimore, MD
 Dec 20 @ 2:30pm St. John the Evangelist – Severna Park
689 Ritchie Hwy Severna Park, MD
 Dec 21 @ 7pm St. John the Evangelist – Columbia
Wilde Lake Interfaith 10431 Twin Rivers Rd. Columbia, MD
Dec 22 @ 7pmCrucifixion Church
100 Scott Ave. Glen Burnie, MD
Dec 23 @7pmSt. Philip Neri Church
6405 S. Orchard Rd, Linthicum, MD
Read More →

Goals

To promote religious awareness on the importance of “family advent preparation” and of the Filipino tradition of Simbang Gabi as a powerful spiritual tool to prepare for Christmas. To bring Filipino families together in a spirit of pre-Christmas preparation and celebration of Simbang Gabi in more spiritual manner and according to Filipino tradition.

To encourage Filipino Families to embrace the call of missionary discipleship by Pope Francis and Archbishop Lori and to open many families to the spirit of Jubillee Year or Mercy. To promote to all Filipino families the importance of
registration of the family in a Parish Church.

Members

Overall-Coordinator: Ms. Agnes Nepomuceno

Members: Coordinators of each parish church sponsoring the Simbang Gabi (9 coordinators) Plus added individuals whose gifts are needed to realize a very Filipino cultural tradition of Simbang Gabi:

  • Myrna Ortega
  • Tita Keeney
  • Jr Manalad
  • Luis Florendo
  • Ethan Gomez, etc.

AFC Executive Committee

Responsibilities and Tasks

  1. Designing the Plan for Simbang Gabi 2015
  • Call a meeting to determine the plan about Simbang Gabi 2015
  • Draw up the final plan based on the identified strengths and constraint as well as resources to use for this event.
  • Clarifying the norms and use of resources, e,g., inclement weather parish policy, usage of Choirs, reception after the Mass. 
  • Create a Complete Schedule of Simbang Gabi, clearly listing the presider, readers, servers, offerers, sponsor of the Mass, nd the choir who will be singing at each mass. 
  1. Coordinating the Plan  
  • Contact all 9 pastors of prospective Churches hosting Simbang Gabi
  • Contact possible leaders at each Church, hosting Simbang Gabi, to seek commitment to lead and organize a team at their respective parishes.
  • Hold a final meeting of all Parish Simbang Gabi Coordinators to discuss the plan, responsibilities and task, liturgical Norms, and expectations.
  • Contact all prospective priests who will provide the Mass based on the schedule and theme of each Mass.  There will be foru priest who committed to have Mass for this Simbang Gabi
  1. Promotion of Simbang Gabi through all avenues from November to December so that many Filipino Families may be fully informed
  • Designing and Printing of flyers
  • Publication through Facebooks, flyers, meetings, and Filipino gatherings
  • Email communication to all Filipino organizations and parish-based Filipino organizations.  
  1. Monitoring of the actual Implementation of the Plan at each parish

Parish Team Coordinator

  1. Organization of a Parish Working Team who will implement the plan at their respective parishes.  The Working team may include the Filipino families of neighboring parishes who are joining in this event.
  2. Meeting of all members of the Parish Working Team to discuss the details of the plan at their respective parish.
  3. To determine the following people needed for the Mass.
  • Readers – there are two readings: reading of the day, Responsorial  Psalm (if not to be sung), and prayers of the faith.
  • Choir – there two choirs that can be used – Filipino Community Choir, led by Tita Keeney, and JITS Praise Team, led by Myrna Ortega. A Parish choir may also be used, if you have your own Choir. 
  • Songs will be determined by AFC for the entire Simbang Gabi Season.
  • Servers and offerers.
  • Sponsor for the Mass.  Each parish will have to find a sponsor for the Mass who will prepare a stipend ($100) for the priest presider.   
  1. To determine if they will host a Reception after the Mass
  • To seek permission with the pastor of the Church and request a hall or a big room for a possible reception.
  • To organize with fellow parishioners on how to prepare for and realize this reception.  

Archdiocesan Filipino Council Documents

Description of Simbang Gabi

Liturgical Norm for Simbang Gabi 

Complete Archdiocesan Simbang Gabi 

A complete listing the Churches, priest presiders, parish team coordinators, choirs, readers, servers, sponsors of the Mass.

A complete listing of Parish Working Team of each parish participating in the Archdiocesan Simbang Gabi.

A complete listing of priests presiders with their telephone numbers.

Parish Working Team Documents

A complete table, listing the people responsible for the following:  readers, prayers for the faithful, sponsors of the Mass, offerers, collectors, 

Reception – if there is a reception, what is the plan, coordination of the place of reception with the pastor of the Church.

Parish Policy in terms of cancellation of Mass during Inclement Weather.     

Read More →