The Holy Father Francis, has bestowed the Apostolic Blessing on the coordinators of the traditional Misa de Gallo in the Catholic parish community of Mirrabooka WA.
For the past 26 years since 1989, the Misa de Gallo (Simbang Gabi) novena mass has been celebrated at St Gerard Majella Parish, through the cooperative efforts of the Filipino members of the community. The tradition was started by a small group of Filipino-Australian families, led by Mrs Carmel Hughes. The 9-day Novena Mass is held at 5:30 in the morning, from 16th to 24th December. On the 9th day, breakfast is prepared by the Filipino coordinators and shared with the community. From a few Filipino families, the Misa de Gallo churchgoers has expanded through the years, as the tradition was embraced by
the wider St Gerard Majella community and Filipinos from other parishes. It has since become a much-anticipated multicultural Christmas event in Mirrabooka’s Advent calendar.
Father Geoff Aldous was parish priest of St Gerard when the Misa de Gallo was started in 1989. Bishop Don Sproxton, now auxiliary bishop of Perth, was a former parish priest at St Gerard, and continues to support the tradition by celebrating one Mass every year. For the last 7 years, Father Giosue Marini, current parish priest, has presided at the Misa de Gallo.
Now on its 27th year, the Misa de Gallo tradition at Mirrabooka continues to attract a larger crowd, even as other Filipino groups have also introduced the tradition in their parish communities, in some communities, the Masses are scheduled in the evenings. At St Gerard, however, the mass is held at 5:30am as Simbang Gabi is traditionally observed; so called, because it would still be dark, and the sun not yet risen. The faithful committed to fulfill the 9-day devotion on cold December mornings had to wake up at the crack of dawn, just as the cock crowed; hence, the term Misa de Gallo (literally, Mass of Chickens).
The Papal Blessing for The Coordinators of Misa de Gallo, imparted through The Archbishop of Montecorvino, Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, invokes upon the group ‘an abndance of divine graces and heavenly favours’.
Filipino Community Mass
at St Mary’s Cathedral
Every 2nd Saturday
of the Month at 4:00PM
Address: 17 Victoria Square, Perth WA
Damayang Filipino Mass
Every last Sunday of the month
@ 3:00PM held at
Notre Dame Catholic Church
Address: 345 Wright St corner Daly St, Cloverdale WA
