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| Inside the St. Thomas Aquinas Church |
by Susan Palmes-Dennis
Everyone is invited to attend an early Simbang Gabi (Midnight Mass) to be held at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church here in Charlotte, North Carolina on Dec. 5.
Lota Mascarenas, a devout Catholic and a member of the St. Thomas Aquinas (STA) Filipino community said Fr. Patrick Winslow will officiate the Mass. I learned though that the community is still hoping that Fr. Leo Patalinghug, a Filipino priest would celebrate the Mass.
“Father Patalinghug is based in Maryland.”Mascarenas said. She said the choir will be composed of Filipinos singing classic Filipino Christmas songs like Gumising Pasko na (Wake up it's Christmas), Emmanuel, Tanging Alay (Sole Dedication) and Sa Yo Lamang (Only for You).
The Simbang Gabi at St. Thomas Catholic Church had been an annual staple for Fil-American Catholics in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
It is part of the Filipino culture on Christmas and part of the Misa de Aguinaldo and traditionally begins on December 16 and ends on December 24. The celebration is held at around four o’clock in the morning.
There's a well-known belief by Filipinos that a devotee who completed all nine days of the Simbáng Gabi will be granted the request that he or she made as part of the novena. This centuries-old custom is still popular to this day.
St. Thomas parish began serving the Catholic community of UNC Charlotte and the surrounding areas of northeast Mecklenburg and southern Cabarrus counties in 1978 and is proud of their diverse parishioners.
The church also hosts the annual multi-cultural festival attended by different international Catholics in the area.
After Mass, the congregation will be invited to partake of classic Filipino Christmas delicacies like bibingka, (rice cake cooked on a clay stove) and puto bumbong (purple-colored rice pastry, seasoned with grated coconut and brown sugar), chocolate made from local cacao beans and salabat (ginger tea).
In its flyer posted online, the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church is also asking for contributions from families to bring their Filipino dishes. You can see it here in this link. Hope to see all of you there!
(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)
