In celebration of the “500 Years of Catholic Evangelization in the Philippines,” members of the Filipino-American community and the Filipino Clergy of the Diocese of Oakland celebrated Novena Masses hosted by different parishes across the diocese. St. Albert the Great had the honor of hosting a Mass last March 12. Together with Fr. Joseph and Fr. Erick Villa of St. Raymond’s in Dublin, Fr. Joel led the celebration. It was well-attended by parishioners from the diocese’s different churches – St. Joseph Basilica, St. Barnabas, St. Philip Neri, St. Albert the Great. The organizers would like to thank all who volunteered and helped make it a successful event, and also thank the Catholic community in Alameda and across the diocese for celebrating with them in honor of the Filipinos’ great faith as a nation and as a people. In his address to the those present in the Basilica on March 14, the 110 million faithful living in the Philippines and the 10 million Filipino migrants scattered in many countries across the globe, Pope Francis recalled that when the Christian message first arrived in their homeland five centuries ago, “You received the joy of the Gospel: the good news that God so loved us that he gave his Son for us. And this joy is evident in your people. We see it in your eyes, on your faces, in your songs and in your prayers.” Photos above and at left show participants and Filipino clergy during the Novena Mass at St. Albert the Great parish. (Jenny Feliciano)
