St. Mark RC Church

Simbang Gabi originated in the early days of Spanish rule over the Philippines as a practical compromise for farmers, who began work before sunrise to avoid the noonday heat out in the fields. It began in 1669. Priests began to hold Mass in the early mornings for the Farmers instead of the evening novenas more common in the rest of the Hispanic world. This cherished Christmas custom eventually became a distinct feature of Philippine culture and became a symbol of sharing.[2] Spanish Era agricultural practices The Philippines is an agricultural country known for its rice, coconut and sugarcane plantations. Many tenant farmers (also known as sacadas, campesinos, and casamacs) toiled all day with one break during noon when the heat would be at its peak. Losing an hour due to the unbearable temperatures, farmers worked hard and budgeted their time out of fear of the local encargado who administered land for the Spanish feudal lord or hacendero . In between the planting and harvest seasons is a lull in the corvée imposed on natives. Those who were old enough to provide manual labor were gathered under the tributo system where men would have to work for free for the Spanish colonial government's building projects. The women also had their share of work tending to their vegetable gardens (tumana) and as household staff for the elite. When the Christmas season would begin, it was customary to hold novenas in the evenings, but the priests saw that the people would attend despite the day's fatigue. As a compromise, the clergy began to say Masses in the early morning while it was still dark before people went out to work the land. (source Wikipedia)

St. Mark RC Church will be having the Advent Penitential Service on December 8, 2023, Friday at 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

Come, join the festivities on September 10th, with your loved ones. Mass Begins at 4:00PM, followed by live entertainment, dances, games and prizes! Scan the QR code to see full details of the program.

History of the Assumption The Feast of the Assumption is one of the oldest holy days in the Church, with accounts of celebrations going back to the sixth century. Christians in the East, both Catholic and Orthodox refer to it as the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, or "the falling asleep of the Mother of God." The earliest printed reference to the belief that Mary's body was assumed into Heaven dates from the fourth century, in a document entitled "The Falling Asleep of the Holy Mother of God." The document is written in the voice of the Apostle John, to whom Christ on the Cross had entrusted the care of His mother, and it recounts the death, laying in the tomb, and assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Tradition variously places Mary's death at Jerusalem or at Ephesus, where John was living.

Both Roman and Eastern rite Catholics celebrate the Church's feast of the Transfiguration today, August 6, on its traditional date for both calendars. The feast commemorates one of the pinnacles of Jesus' earthly life, when he revealed his divinity to three of his closest disciples by means of a miraculous and supernatural light.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is on July 16. The name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church, is Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel. In the late 12th and early to mid-13th centuries, Christian hermits first settled on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land and became known as Carmelites. They constructed a chapel in the middle of their hermitages and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin, whom they envisioned as the ‘Lady of the place’ in chivalric terms. The 19th century saw Chile choose Our Lady of Mount Carmel as its patron saint.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Friday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost Solemnity

Corpus Christi is a Western Catholic feast held every year on the second Thursday after Pentecost. The celebration is associated with the commemoration of Jesus's Last Supper with his Apostles before His crucifixion.

This weekend, the Church celebrates Pentecost, one of the most important feast days of the year that concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church.   Here's what you need to know about the feast day:

May 21-The Feast of the Ascension commemorates Jesus' ascension into heaven 40 days after his resurrection. Thus Ascension Day falls 40 days after Easter, on the 6th Thursday of Easter. In some parts of the world, the solemnity is celebrated on the Sunday after the traditional date.

May 13 is the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. She appeared six times to Lucia, 9, and her cousins Francisco, 8, and his sister Jacinta, 6, between May 13, 1917 and October 13, 1917.

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