SACRAMENTO’S FILIPINO AUXILIARY BISHOP LEADS 17TH SIMBANG GABI COMMISSIONING MASS OF SAN FRANCISCO ARCHDIOCESE
The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco joined the Filipino Catholic Community in the 17th annual commissioning mass for the “simbang gabi” or dawn masses, a Filipino Christmas tradition, organized by the Filipino Ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco on 6 December 2024.
Attended by Vice Consul Adrian Baccay and Vice Consul Hannah Go, the mass was held for the first time at Saint Augustine Catholic Church in South San Francisco, California, bringing the celebration to more Filipinos and Filipino Americans. The mass was presided over by Auxiliary Bishop Reynaldo Bersabal of the Diocese of Sacramento—currently the highest ranking Filipino Catholic prelate in Northern California, and one of only five Filipino bishops in the United States.
The “simbang gabi” is a novena (nine-day) mass that is celebrated at dawn beginning December 16. The tradition began during the Spanish colonial era when Christmas masses were held before sunrise, to allow farmers to hear mass before they set off to work during the day. The “simbang gabi” schedule in the San Francisco Archdiocese (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties) is available on the Filipino Ministry’s website. (San Francisco PCG photos)
