16/12/2022
LOOK: FIRST "MISA DE AGUINALDO" IN THE ADOPTED COMMUNITY OF JARO IN KENYA
Following the Canonical Er****on of the First Mission Parish of the Archdioces of Jaro in Kenya, a lot of "FIRSTS" happened in the community including the celebration of the different liturgical activities.
Yesterday, the FIRST "Misa de Aguinaldo" was celebrated in the Holy Family Parish in Kaaleng, Turkana, Kenya.
Elated on this celebration, Rev. Fr. Peter Guarin, one of the priests assigned in Kenya shared his "Misa de Gallo" experience: "We are happy to present to you the first day of our Kaaleng Misa de Gallo. [Not exactly] as our Aguinaldo Masses in the Philippines as ours received an indult from Rome so we can celebrate it in honour of Our Lady for 9 days, thus making it more unique than the usual Advent daily Mass."
From the usual Advent Mass at 7:00AM,
the schedule of Masses from December 16-24, 2022 was moved earlier to 5:30AM for the parishioners in Kaaleng to experience the feeling of celebrating Misa de Gallo which is the first time to be held in their community.
What made it more exciting is that as early as 4:10am the Church is already packed with parishioners of the community, excited to experience this unusual event in Kaaleng.
On their way to the Church, the parishioners going in groups or they call "Jumiya" or in our setting, the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC). Each Jumiya would organise themselves before heading to the church as they sing accompanied by a star bearer and the estandarte of their respective Jumiya.
The feeling was closely similar to what we usually do here in the Philippines as churchgoers in Kaaleng after the Mass were served with hot drink and Pandesal.
This experience of "firsts" in the Holy Family Parish in Kenya, is indeed a Mission of Evangelization, wherever we are, as long as the fire of Mission lives within our hearts we can be able to share our culture, tradition and faith to everyone regardless of race or color, status or origin.
