May 15, 2024
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Celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines with Mass on March 12

Bishop Ron Hicks will celebrate the anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet.

By Denise M. Baran-Unland

A pre-COVID Ash Wednesday Mass at Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet on Wednesday. Bishop Ron Hicks will celebrate a Mass commemorating the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines on Saturday March 12, 2022, at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet. (Lathan Goumas)

March 12 is the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity to the Philippines.

To commemorate the event, Bishop Ron Hicks will celebrate Mass at 1 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet, according to a news release from the Diocese of Joliet.

“The Mass will feature Scripture readings and prayers recited in various languages spoken in the Southeast Asian country, including Tagalog,” the release said.

The Mass will be livestreamed at youtu.be/6iXdK3WN8cQ.

Weather permitting, a procession on Raynor Avenue highlighting four Filipino devotions will precede the Mass, according to the release.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines launched yearlong quincentennial celebration in April 2021. For information, visit 500yoc.com.

That first Mass was celebrated a few weeks after Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed a Spanish expedition on the island country in March 1521, according to the release.

For information on the Mass, visit dioceseofjoliet.org.