Starting out the year right with a New Year's Day Tridentine Mass

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this blogpost belong only to the blogger and do not necessarily reflect the views of all Traditionalist Catholics, Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo, his sacristans, the staff of the Holy Family Parish Church, or any of its parishiones. Reader discretion is advised.

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To start the New Year the right way, we attended the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) at the Sagrada Familia Church, commonly known in its English equivalent as the Holy Family Church in Roxas District, Cubáo, Quezon City. The parish priest here is none other than Rev. Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo, the one who officiated our traditional Catholic wedding at our parish church last September.

I find it difficult to describe the façade. To save me from embarrassment, I'll just call it a unique façade, hehe!

Before I proceed, let me just make some clarification to prevent any confusion (and possible complaints). This church's official name is in English: the Holy Family Parish Church. But the nationalist that I am, I refuse to call Philippine churches by their English equivalents, so pardon me. Anyway, we live in Filipinas where an overwhelming majority of churches have Filhispanic names. In addition, we are not an English-speaking nation (you heard that right — we ain't; just tune in to my other blog for more about this). So it's better if we call this church as the Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia or simply Simbahan ng Sagrada Familia. But that's just me, I think.

So, am I starting out this blogpost right already? :D Anyway, let me proceed...

Jefe surveying the place. Sorry if my kids still do not have proper church attire. We'll buy them a set soon.

An image of San Miguel, about to chop the head of some idiot.

Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, otherwise known as the Tridentine Mass, is regularly celebrated here on weekdays at 7:30 AM and on Sundays at 2:00 PM. Give it a try! I guarantee that you will be mesmerized by its sacredness!

Many of Fr. Jojo's collection of images are prominently displayed throughout this church.

Yeyette is veiled and ready. Krystal forgot to bring hers.

Me and Yeyette have attended TLM here a couple of times. But this is the first time that we brought Krystal, Momay, Jefe, and Juanito with us. It's very far from where we live (remember: we're provincianos), that is why we could only attend Mass here at least once a month. Well, there is the Novus Ordo Mass in our parish and in all churches across the country. But being Traditionalists, we find it difficult, even a burden, to attend it. Personally, I find Novus Ordo Masses vile and even anti-Christian. We do attend it, but only for the sake of our children's spiritual/religious upbringing. Of course me and my wife don't want them growing up going to church only once a month. So simply put, we don't have that much of a choice. However, I caution my kids, Krystal in particular because she's already a young adult, about the differences between the TLM and the Novus Ordo (for a backgrounder about the difference between TLM and Novus Ordo, click here).

Mass begins. Instead of appearing behind the altar, as is usually the case with Novus Ordo Masses, Fr. Jojo and the sacristans emerge from a door by the south aisle as Krystal and Jefe (left) look on. They will then proceed to the nave where they will solemnly march towards the altar.

I've been telling the whole family that in the liturgical calendar, January 1st is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. When the sermon began, Fr. Jojo began talking about the circumcision of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was then when I realized that Traditionalists follow a different kind of liturgical calendar: the one that was being followed before the revisions done by the Second Vatican Council. So January 1 was the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, after all. Father Jojo's sermon also made us realize that it was during that holy circumcision when Christ our Lord first shed blood as a baby, "the blood that placates the wrath of God..."

Holy Communion. In TLM, communion by the hand is not permitted, and one should kneel before receiving the Body of Christ.

All hymns and prayers are in Latin. Only the sermon is in the vernacular or English.

The Holy Family Church had its beginnings in 1949 from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in nearby Barrio Camuning (or Kamuning, named after a flowering tree: Murraya paniculata). The residents in Roxas District requested for a priest who would celebrate Mass there every Sunday. Their request was granted, and it was Fr. Tomás Pacano, SVD, who went there as a visiting priest for the Sunday Masses which were then celebrated under a big acacia tree (where the General Roxas Elementary School now stands).

Later on, Fr. Pacano and some residents had a small chapel built for a more fitting place of worship. The chapel soon became a full-fledged church which was blessed and inaugurated during the Feast of the Holy Family in January 1953. On September 16 of the same year, the place around the new church was made into a parish under the patronage of the Holy Family with Fr. Melchor Barcelona as its first parish priest (1953-1955). Today, Fr. Jojo is at the helm of the parish's spiritual needs.

This awesome photo was taken by Maurice Joseph Almadrones, one of the TLM choir members who also sang in our wedding.

La Familia Viajera with Fr. Jojo. If he looks familiar to you, then most probably he is for he has appeared numerous times in various TV and online interviews regarding the Tridentine Mass which he celebrates. Me and Yeyette are so proud and blessed to have had him officiate our wedding last year (photo by Mao Almadrones)!

Going home. Well, not really (to be continued!).

It was indeed a blessing for us to have attended New Year's Day Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, and fittingly in a church called "The Holy Family". No, we don't claim to be holy, LOL! But this church, named after the beautiful and holy family of Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and our Lord Jesus Christ, was named in their honor and dedicated to them, the "First Family" who serves as a model for all Christian families such as La Familia Viajera. We just couldn't have New Year's Day Mass anywhere else.

La Sagrada Familia.

Click here for more photos!

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TRIVIA: The current parish priest of this church is not only a champion of the TLM movement in the Philippines but is also an exorcist! So demons beware!