The coronavirus pandemic that has shaken the world off its equilibrium has also made every occasion in a person’s life one of a kind. Not only are the words “quarantine” or “virtual” prefixed to the occasion—quarantine birthday, virtual graduation, virtual proposal, quarantine wedding—only 10 people or less are allowed to congregate, depending on the level of the community quarantine imposed.
This is quite a downer for the Filipino people who are used to inviting a crowd (buong barangay, as we say) in celebration of a significant event. Fiestas are a hit because the sense of community, conversations over good food, and festive atmosphere are a delight to the heart and the senses. And June 26 happens to bring a deeper level of that kind of joy and kinship in most parts of the world. It is the feast day of St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, who also inspired the establishment of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P).
If in the past, thousands would flock to the Mother Church of the Philippines—the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as the Manila Cathedral—to attend Mass on June 26 and see friends from different parts of the metro or from other regions, this year did not see it happen. Until now, protocols are strict: church services are limited, mobility is hampered, and social distancing is a must. A quarantine feast day it has become.
But after three months without access to sacraments, a circle of friends decided not to let June 26 pass by without offering something special to God through the “saint of the ordinary,” as then Pope John Paul II called St. Josemaría, whom he canonized. The all-female friends organized a livestream Mass.
Going online…
Events of all kinds have gone online since the pandemic exploded: concerts, theater productions, seminar-workshops, group exercises, family reunions, etc. Churches of all beliefs are no stranger to the “new normal” either. Masses and other collective means of formation are held inside the church with no or very limited audience and broadcast through social media channels. There may be hitches here and there, but the viewers could not see the majority of it. And these the newbies on livestreaming found out for their planned June 26 Mass.
The group of mostly UA&P employees had their eyes on Sancta Maria Stella Orientis Oratory of UA&P as venue for the livestream. It was but fitting: the University’s spiritual formation is entrusted to the Prelature of Opus Dei. However, since health and safety protocols for the use of the oratory were not yet in place, and the feast day was fast approaching, the group had to find another venue. Mary Anjanette “Anj” Decena, Managing Director of the Admission’s Office, reached out to Rev. Fr. Mark Emman Sese, fellow UA&P Dragon and parish priest of Our Lady of the Poor Parish in Western Bicutan, Taguig. Fr. Sese obliged, with very particular guidelines on how to conduct the activity.
By this time, preparations were underway. Viber and email threads were in full swing. Plans were scrapped or modified as seen fit. Renting lights and sound systems was taken out of the equation. To make up for this, Bernadette “Dette” Zulueta-Malayo, a millennial mother of two and also a UA&P alumna, would host the live feed of the Mass from her home using a streaming application. She would be assisted on-site by Ellen Soriano, Program Director of Southeast Asia Business Studies, who would capture the event using her own equipment. The Mass would be accessed through the Facebook page of the Office of Alumni Affairs. Viewers who would tune in early would get to watch short videos of St. Josemaría and of Opus Dei.
To assist in the PowerPoint presentation for the viewers’ guide was Mary Josefti Nito, faculty member of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), who would have to stay at home due to lack of public transportation. She also drafted the invitation for the livestream. Lexie Estacio (faculty member of the School of Education and Human Development) would provide the pamphlets and prayer cards of St. Josemaría. She also arranged for the delivery of flowers to be placed on the altar. Mass readers would be Viory Yvonne Janeo (faculty member of the School of Economics) and Margeaux Marie “Mags” Valdez (Program Director of the Junior College Program).
…And on-site
Carpools were arranged; two came solo. Face masks were worn all the time, and alcohol sprays were doing a rigorous job. The seven who were able to go arrived early to prepare the souvenir kits requested by the priest and to set up the equipment. Joyce Mirabueno-Cabrera, faculty member of CAS, was expecting, so she supported the group from home. Jinky Carlos tried to catch up.
The vicinity of the parish church was vacated; its interior, modest. Pews were cordoned off, and those that were available for seating were marked. Fr. Sese was very accommodating but conscious of the protocols at the same time. A lady made sure that social distancing was followed. Everyone was quiet and kept to themselves in preparation for the Mass, while Ellen and Viory tended to the equipment. Dette, though remote, was nonetheless busy.
“To ensure that we have a good internet connection and that the streaming app will work well, I placed the prayer cards of our Father (St. Josemaría) and Don Alvaro on my laptop,” she said.
When the procession began, not only one or two priests came out of the narrow door leading to the sacristy. There were six of them, plus a deacon. The priests’ vestments were admirable; the men’s presence, solemn. The sight nearly brought the friends to tears. One of Fr. Sese’s priest friends was the main celebrant; the parish priest contented himself with assisting. The homily was brief but direct to the point: God is our Father, and we should ask the help of the Holy Spirit to make us faithful to the vocation that God has given to each one of us, whatever our state in life is. For some of the attendees, that day was their second “First Communion.” A Salve Regina was sung for Our Lady.
After the Mass, some photos were taken, but there was no sit-down lunch or get-together. It did not dampen the spirit of the occasion though. The group was simply happy to have brought to the people a Mass dedicated to St. Josemaría.
Fe Gladys Golo, University Registrar, shared, “While we were at Mass, I kept telling Our Lord, ‘This is for You. This is for Your Glory.’”
Impact
Families and friends from across the country and the world managed to watch the livestream, which garnered a thousand of engagements.
“The night before, I prayed to St. Josemaría. I told him that we have worked hard and have overcome many hurdles for the Mass the following day. I asked for 1000 views,” said Anj.
“It allowed my sister and my mom to celebrate the feast day Mass of St. Josemaría with me as they watched the livestream on Facebook from Australia,” Mags related.
It was also an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and introduce new ones to St. Josemaría and to Opus Dei. Gladys invited a lot of her former students who are now University alumni and because of that discovered that one of them was sick. “She was infected with COVID-19. She was already recovering when we were texting each other. It helped to be in touch with her and to check on her progress.”
On the other hand, Viory recounted, “My friend who watched the livestream was so amazed with the details that were put into it. She was also touched with how our group went out of our way to celebrate the feast day. Now, she’s interested to know more about the Work (Opus Dei) and has been asking me to send her details about some activities, including some initiatives where she could be of help. She even hosted a watch party of the replay.”
Dette added, “As I saw the live comments of the people during the Mass, I was amazed at how people really celebrated with us from their homes. The devotion to Our Father was so alive. The exchanges of “Happy feast day!” in the comment section brought so much joy to me. It was like we are physically apart but very united spiritually in celebration.”
The goodness of persons came out too in unexpected ways. Lexie shared how the florist offered to make the flower arrangements bigger with no additional cost when the lady learned that the Mass will be livestreamed. “To make it prettier and more visible,” the florist reasoned. They delivered the flowers from a long distance using a tricycle and asked for only a minimal fee.
“It was a unique experience and definitely one for the books,” Mags said of the livestreaming. “We were thirsting for Our Lord and what better time to be reunited with Him than on the feast day of our Father.”#
Banner photo by Kaboompics.com from Pexels.
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