Churching of Yeyette before her fifth caesarian delivery

After our Mozarabic Rite wedding last year, our children got to witness another rare and ancient Christian rite yesterday afternoon at the Holy Family Parish Church in Cubáo: churching before childbirth.

This ceremony is so ancient you wouldn't even find it in Google. Click on the picture for the complete photo album!

It was Fr. Jojo Zerrudo who, after New Year's Day Mass, advised us to come back to him before Yeyette's scheduled caesarian delivery so that he could bless her and our new baby. Having been exposed to a Novus Ordo upbringing, me and Yeyette had no idea that there was such a blessing. But we knew that it was something that simply had to be done because, for sure, it is something certifiably Catholic, authentically Christian.

We had planned to go back to Fr. Jojo on a much earlier date. But because of our busy schedule, we weren't able to do so (just imagine taking care of four children —with no household helpers to boot— while both husband and wife are working the night shift among other activities, and you'll get the picture). But now, I think our tardiness was just as timely because Yeyette was diagnosed to have placenta percreta just a few days ago.

It can be remembered that Macati Mayor Junjun Binay's wife died a month after giving birth due to complications caused by placenta accreta. But my wife's condition, placenta percreta, is said to be much worse compared to placenta accreta. That's why our visit to the Holy Family Parish Church yesterday was a special and poignant one.

So after the Missa Cantata, we went to the sacristy to confer with Fr. Jojo and our acolyte friends for the blessing. There were hasty preparations. And we found out that it was just Fr. Jojo's first time to officiate the said ancient ceremony. So what happened yesterday could probably be the first time that this rite was practised after so many years.

The rite was officiated in Latin, a very important language in the Holy Mother Church, most especially among us Traddies. Although me and Yeyette could barely understand Latin, the solemnity of the language and the very essence of its being a Catholic tongue provided a more dignified sacredness to the holy proceedings. And despite her lack of knowledge of Latin, Yeyette was still moved to tears; both her rather risky delivery and the sacredness of the invocation proved too much for her to bear. It was indeed a moving scene, at least to me, watching her receive the blessing from Fr. Jojo.

To you who read this, my family is imploring you to say a little prayer for Yeyette and our new baby who is still in her womb. We want to travel the whole country, complete and happy together...

¡Enaltecer la familia para la gloria más alta de Dios!