SUNDAY, MAY 1 EVENTS - DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY , May 1
2:30 - Recitation of the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary
honoring Blessed John Paul II on the day of his beatification
- Crowning of the Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Chaplet of the Divine Mercy in Chant with Family Consecration
- Holy Mass
- Divine Mercy Procession and SANTACRUZAN
- Fellowship with Food, Music and Dance

The Nature of the Event:

The SANTACRUZAN FESTIVAL is an annual celebration which has been done for six (8) consecutive years here at St. Joseph Church. It is a religious event honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary which includes the celebration of the Holy Mass, the Ceremonial Crowning of the statue of Mary and the Marian procession which covers some blocks around the church. This event is co-sponsored by the the St. Joseph Rosary Society, Catholic Daughters of America, the Lord of Pardon Prayer Group, the Bayanihan Club of Union, the Filipino Community of St. Joseph Parish, the Filipino Communities of Essex and Union Counties and the Various Filipino Religious Movements and Prayer Groups

What is this Filipino Tradition about:

Filipinos love fiestas. They are celebrated all-year round. In the Philippines, especially in the summer months, May is the merriest and the most beautiful month of the year. It is the season of colorful festivals and Flores de Mayo or Santacruzan is one such festival.

Santacruzan is held annually in the warm month of May and is considered to be the "Queen of Filipino Festivals". Beautiful town belles are selected to participate in this colorful pageant parade honoring beautiful Philippine maidens and their handsome escorts under the hand-carried bamboo archs adorned by fragrant native flowers.

May is also the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Christ. Filipinos turn each of the 31 days in May into a charming tribute to the virginal virtues in Flores de Mayo - the flowers of May fiesta. Spiritual virtue seeks to reach even the young. Every day in May, children, with cut flowers and baskets of petals in hand, march down the church center aisle. As the children march down the aisle they sprinkle the fragrant petals for Mary. This custom is called alay sa Birhen. In Filipino, because it is an offering (alay) to the virgin (birhen), at the main altar, the youngsters sing hymns to Lady Immaculate, and leave their bouquet of flowers loose and bethroned.

Among the millions of Filipinos living in America today, many have likely missed the experience and are likely to become emotional when it comes to culture and tradition. Thus, we celebrate the Santo Nino Festival, the festival of Filipino Folkloric Dances and kundimans during Independence Day celebrations, the colorful Santacruzan in May, the festive Simbang Gabi in December and a lot more.

Many Filipino families here in America strive to introduce to their children the richness of Filipino culture and these kids, despite growing up with video games instead of native games, or visiting Disneyland instead of exotic beaches and mountains back in the Philippines, many of them strive to define for themselves what being a "Filipino" is all about.

Responding to this felt need, programs are developed that aim to reconnect young Filipino-Americans with the land of their heritage, giving them a chance to be introduced to Filipino culture and tradition as well as the social issues that confront their homeland. One of these is our SANTACRUZAN FESTIVAL which aside from being a religious activity is also cultural in nature. For eight (8) years now that the Filipino community of St. Joseph has successfully celebrated this event. This year, we would like to continue reliving this colorful and unique Filipino tradition.