St. Joseph fiesta offerings...

THE unmistakable green and yellow robe of Saint Joseph the worker leads the parade of images this afternoon when the final set of a series of nine prayers for supplication and thanksgiving ends with the procession at 6:00 today. The St. Joseph 's Cathedral becomes the crux of this year's religious fiesta activities as images of patron saints from the chapels within the parish joins the cathedral patron in the traditional vespers procession that would wind the city's main thoroughfares.

This year's procession is expected to be another big one, with devotees stirred by besetting economic, political and social trials rocking the country. With the country almost torn in strife over political division, misunderstanding and sheer greed, the people are now in the receiving end of all conceivable inconveniences brought about by extreme politicking.

Reverend Father Crispin Varquez, Cathedral parish priest candidly put it in his fiesta message when he said “amidst the joys brought about by the fiesta season, we can't deny the silent and yet widespread troubles of our people today”. He talked about the people worried over the troubles and petty things that face them.

With this, he advised parishioners and devotees to remember the examples shown by St. Joseph . He said St. Joseph was once worried, troubled by trials, yet he took them all with courage, patience and humility. Fr. Varquez also said all Saint Joseph did was he offered all these and aspired for God's love and mercy. And then he passed through all these tests, he reminded devotees. Tomorrow, the feastday, the Cathedral parish prepares six sets of masses, one of which is the pontifical mass at 9:30 am. First mass is set in Cebuano at 5:15 and followed by another Cebuano mass at 6:15 in the morning. An English mass would be celebrated at 7:17 am , the third during the day.

The pontifical mass would be graced by Bishop Leopoldo S. Tumulak, the Diocese's apostolic administrator. Cathedral priests and the visiting priests from nearby vicariates and parishes and from the Diocese of Talibon are also expected to concelebrate the high mass. Baptismal rites would be given at 11:00 am while Bishop Tumulak officiates the confirmation rite set at 3:00. he usual start of the annual Flores de Mayo, a yearly devotional offering of flowers to Mary is set after the 5:15 Cebuano mass, while another mass is set at 6:30.

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