Defending Christ Amid Chaos
Restoring the Sacredness of Simbang Gabi in Chicagoland Area
Image provided by Rexcrisanto Delson
The season of Advent is upon us, and many Catholics in the Chicagoland area will be looking forward to the Filipino Advent tradition known as Simbang Gabi. It is a nine day novena of consecutive Masses that ends just before Christmas. Since its beginning in the Chicagoland area during the mid 1980’s, the Masses have only been done in the Ordinary Form, also known as the Novus Ordo Missae. In an article titled, “Filipino Reflections on Restoring the Sacred in Advent,” I explained the meaning of Simbang Gabi, and why it should also be done in the Extraordinary Form, also known as the Tridentine Latin Mass (TLM). I ended the article with somewhat of a challenge to Filipino Catholics by writing:
“For the Filipino community to have TLM novena Masses, an initiative to restore the sacredness of Misa de Aguinaldo in Simbang Gabi needs to take place. There are already several churches in the area who offer the TLM on a regular basis, but will the Filipino community reach out and utilize them? Only time will tell.”
Great news! I am happy to announce that the Shrine of Christ the King Sovereign Priest will be having a Simbang Gabi Mass this Advent. It will be the first known TLM Simbang Gabi Mass in the Chicagoland area. This historic event will be hosted and celebrated by the priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. All Catholics are encouraged to pray this special Mass and experience a special tradition that will help people deepen their preparation for Christmas. Details about this historical event are as follows:
Chicagoland’s First Tridentine Latin Mass Simbang Gabi
Where: Shrine of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (see note below)
6415 South Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
When: Saturday, December 16, 2017
Time: 8:00 am High Mass / Filipino reception follows immediately at St. Benedict Hall
Note: Mass will take place in the Upper Room (3rd floor). Entrance is on 6400 S. Kimbark Ave.
Contact Info: Tel: 1-773-363-7409 • Em•ail: shrine@institute-christ-king.org • website
Share: Invite others by sharing this facebook event
Future Hope
For now, this is the only known TLM Simbang Gabi in the Chicagoland area this year. With your prayers and help, there will someday be nine consecutive TLM Simbang Gabi Masses done in different Churches. As the TLM Simbang Gabi grows, there will also be a time when the final Mass is celebrated by Bishop Perry or other Prelates. Until that time comes, we can still do our own Simbang Gabi novena by praying the TLM on our own for nine consecutive days at any of the churches offering it. Here is a list of churches in the area that offer both Sunday AND daily TLM Masses:
Shrine of Christ the King Sovereign Priests
6415 S. Woodlawn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637
825 N. Carpenter St.
Chicago, IL 60642
1329 Belleview Ave.
Rockdale, IL 60436
27551 Volo Village Road
Volo, Illinois, 60073
Note: A list of other churches that offer periodic or Sunday only TLM Masses in the Chicagoland area can be seen here.
For anyone wanting to follow the progress of the TLM Simbang Gabi in the Chicagoland area, please visit the Restoring the Sacred Simbang Gabi facebook page.
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About the Author
Rexcrisanto Delson is an Igorot-American writer, who offers his readers a unique perspective of faith and culture. He was born in the highest elevations of the Cordillera Mountains in the Philippines, but was raised in America since the age of four. Only two generations separated from his pagan Igorot ancestry; he is eternally grateful for his mother’s conversion to Catholicism, making her the first Christian in her long lineage of pagans. The same is true regarding his dad’s father, who was the first Christian in his family. In addition, Delson also finds solace knowing his grandfather on his mother’s side, a pagan priest, was converted by his mother on his death bed. As a proud American, he still embraces the positive attributes of his heritage, while rejecting its pagan beliefs and practices, because they point to the truths of natural law that are very prevalent in his culture.
As a cradle Catholic, who knew only the Novus Ordo Mass his entire life, Delson recently underwent a profound deepening of his Catholic Faith after encountering the Extraordinary Form Latin Mass (Tridentine Mass). This experience has added a new dimension to his writing, in which he weaves together the fabrics of his ethnic identity, the Catholic Faith he grew up learning, and the profound meanings and traditions of the Tridentine Latin Mass.
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