Holy Week in my hometown

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s Holy Monday! I tried checking my (first) blog for my entries during last year’s Holy Week celebration and this is what I found. I have made it a point to have the same feature each time Holy Week comes, and that is to recall in my own little the semana santa tradition that is Calbayog City.

I did not watch any religious movie this time. But I’m contemplating on Cecil de Mille’s epic Ten Commandments, the scene where the sea parted still excites me, the Discovery channel’s documentary on Moses notwithstanding.

Holy Week is different things to different people. Whatever one is into, it’s nice to note that even just for a few days, we are all given to the opportunity to contemplate upon the greatest gift that is the life of the Son of God. As to those who are to hit the beaches and other tour sites this week, well . . .

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Semana Santa. Days ago, the images of the saints at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral were covered with violet cloth and it will stay that way until the Easter vigil. As with the rest of the Catholic world, Domingo De Ramos ushers in Holy Week in Calbayog. This year, the traditional blessing of the palms took a different twist, well at least the time of the day when it was done. Traditionally done early morning at the Julio Cardinal Rosales Plaza, the ceremony with the Bishop and the faithful going in procession around the plaza was done at 5:00 in the afternoon. Be that as it may, the Palm Sunday activities set the tone for the next few days on to the Easter triduum. On a personal note, this is always the busiest week for the past so many years. And for many generations of Calbayognons, Calbayog’s observance of her Lenten traditions is always one reason to come back to one’s hometown in Holy Week. Well, on top of swimming in Malajog on Easter Sunday, of course.

On Holy Thursday, the image of the Dolorosa (on the left wing of the cathedral) will give way to the monumento which will be the object of veneration of the faithful from 6:00 pm until noon of Good Friday. The 12 persons (usually members of the K of C) who were selected as this year’s apostoles will have their feet washed by the Bishop. Old folks fondly refer to the ceremony as pamosa san mga apostoles. That ceremony used to have one old lady – apparently on a panata – go up the altar and hand out small bags with coins to the apostoles. We missed that old lady last year. Later at the parish rectory, they will have their dinner – ala last supper - with the bishop. I was once a part of this “ritual”. The bishop seated at the center with the twelve apostles on both sides. So was it a good dinner? I dunnow. Try to imagine having dinner while lectors take turns in reading a good number of gospel passages and a choir sings psalms in between. Then at exactly 8 pm, it was time for the jubileo, that saying of the rosary while in procession around the Cathedral and going in and out of it, yes, through all its doors. (to be continued…)

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A funeral. Mrs. Lourdes “Dayday” Catalan - Soria was laid to rest last Wednesday. The funeral was preceded by a 10:00 am Mass at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. The said mass was presided over by Bishop Isabelo Abarquez. Concelebrating with him were Msgr. Jun Cinco, Fr. Mika Aguilar, Fr. Tony Mahinay, Fr. Noel Abiertas, Fr. Johny Papel, Fr. Dondon Paulino and Fr. Mando Cagomoc.

A short necrological service followed. Mana Dayday was eulogized by her grandson Limuel Cabañas, Board Member Charlie Coñejos, Mayor Mel Sarmiento, Congressman Reynaldo Uy and Mr. Tito Soria.

The Bugto Association Choir sang during the Funeral Mass. Boboy and Naty Biliran sang Mana Dayday's favorite songs "Somewhere", "Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas", "Ikaw" and "Mama" during the necrological service.

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We have our own memories or images of Holy Week in our hometowns. Whatever these are, it boils down to one thing. I believe that holy week have always been declared as a holiday, a long one at that, for us to spend some holy days before the big celebration which is Easter.

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This is it for now. Have a holy week everyone! Ciao!