CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma praised the faithful for waking up early to attend the traditional dawn masses.
“Padayon kita ug buhaton nato diha sa kasingkasing nga mainampuon nga unta ang bunga niini maoy labi nato nga pagsayod sa gugma sa Diyos sa pagpadala sa iyang anak,” he said.
The Misa de Gallo, which means “rooster’s mass” in Spanish, is a series of dawn masses nine days before Christmas Eve. Aside from the Philippines, it is also celebrated in Spain and in its former colonies in South America.
For this year, Palma will celebrate dawn masses with the police, parishioners from far-flung parishes and vendors.
The prelate will kick off the Misa de Gallo on Dec. 16 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Minglanilla, saying he chose the parish after his failure to officiate the mass during its feast last September.
On Dec. 17, Palma will officiate the mass at the Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr., the headquarters of Police Regional Office (PRO) in Cebu City.
Dec. 20 absence
His third dawn mass on Dec. 18 will be held at the St. Augustine Parish in Barangay Langtad, City of Naga.
On Dec. 19, the archbishop will celebrate the mass at San Pedro Calungsod Shrine, Archbishop’s Palace on D. Jakosalem St. in Cebu City.
Palma will not officiate a dawn mass on Dec. 20 as he will be attending another activity, which he did not disclose.
He will return to preside over the Misa de Gallo on Dec. 21 at the Conversion of St. Paul Parish in Barangay Lugo, Borbon in northern Cebu.
On Dec. 22, the dawn mass will be held at the San Pedro Calungsod Parish in Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City.
Palma will lead the dawn mass on Dec. 23 at the Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) in Barangay Luz, Cebu City.
On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, Palma will officiate the Misa de Gallo at the Carbon Public Market in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City.
The masses that will be held in PRO 7, Borbon town and CCTN will start at 4:30 a.m., while the rest will begin at 4 a.m. (From SCG of Superbalita Cebu/ KAL