Simbang Gabi
What is “Simbang Gabi”?
One of the greatest gifts of Spain to the Philippines is the gift of bringing the Catholic faith. The work of the Spanish missionaries has rooted the life and culture of the Filipino people on the firm foundation Catholic beliefs and practices. An integral part of the Filipino preparation for the celebration of Christmas is the tradition of “Misa de Gallo.” The name “Misa de Gallo” refers to the tradition of celebrating Mass during the early dawn on each of the nine days before Christmas. This is a century old tradition of celebration in the Philippines where crowd of folks would fill every church in joyful anticipation of the coming of the Lord. As the economy of the country moved from its agriculture base to commerce, the novena Masses were later transformed into “Simbang Gabi” (Evening Mass) to celebrated them in the evening to allow for even greater participation. To promote this beautiful prayerful Filipino tradition, in our parish and in many churches in the Rockford Diocese, Simbang Gabi is celebrated for nine consecutive nights from December 19th to December 23rd. This series of Simbang Gabi celebrations in various church in the Fox Valley area is sponsored by the Fox Valley Filipino American Catholic Ministry under the auspices of the Office of the Filipino Ministry of the Diocese of Rockford. Our Saint Margaret Mary Filipino Community is known as the Bayanihan of Saint Margaret Mary Church and sponsors our celebration of the Simbang Gabi.
The Filipino Community welcomes you to celebrate the Simbang Gabi at Saint Margaret Mary followed by Traditional Food and Entertainment.
FILIPINO CELEBRATION OF SIMBANG GABI
Friday, December 23rd 7:00 PM @ Saint Margaret Mary, Algonquin
One of Masses of the Filipino Simbang Gabi (9 days of Masses) will be celebrated here.
All are welcome to attend this special celebration of Mass, food and entertainment.
