CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma will hold the traditional Misa de Gallo or dawn masses in nine poor communities.
Dawn masses begin on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, with Palma eyeing poor communities as the venues for his masses. He said he already plotted his itinerary for the nine-day Misa de Gallo and that his point is to show the different kinds of preparation for Christmas in the city.
“Daghan man mga parishes ang gusto nga magmisa ko but akong giprioritize ang mga new and poor churches, most especially katong mga poor churches,” he said at the sidelights of the ordination of eight seminarians into deacons Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (Many parishes want me to hold masses for them but I prioritize the new and poor churches, especially poor churches.)
Palma will hold the first Misa de Gallo in Carbon Public Market since there are many vendors selling during dawn. The rest of the schedule will be announced soon.
The ceremony ordaining the seminarians was held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Ordained as deacons were Leo Lou Caputol Arche of the St. Anthony de Padua Church in Guinsay, Danao City; Res Kenneth Cantones Arong of St. John Nepomucene Parish in Moalboal, Cebu; Christian James Arenilla Mayol, of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Compostela town; Rogel Manaba Murillo of Nuestra Señora Virgen dela Regla Parish of Lapu-Lapu City; Christopher Carl Otara Ompad of the St. Augustine Parish in Sta. Rosa, Olango Island; James Cañete Yap of the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Cebu City; and Julrie Olaran Camay and Gilbert Bojos Ytang of the Holy Family of Nazareth Parish in Bogo City.
In his homily, Palma told the new deacons not to be tempted by power or prestige. He said that being ordained to a diaconate means having a heart for service as he also described the image of a deacon as the towel and basin Jesus Christ used in washing the feet of disciples. (JCT)