Archdiocese hosts unique pilgrimage to honor Filipino faith anniversary

Like most Filipino Catholics, the thousands of Filipino parishioners within the Archdiocese of Newark are extremely devout in their faith. So, with the 500th anniversary of the first Mass in the Philippines fast approaching, Father JM Manolo A. Punzalan knew the Archdiocese had to do something significant to celebrate. He believes he found the perfect way to honor the “gift” of Catholicism while uniting the Filipino community like never before.

Working with several other Filipino pastors, Father Manolo has organized a pilgrimage to 12 churches with large Filipino populations throughout the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Paterson. All are invited to follow a replica of the Jubilee Cross — which Ferdinand Magellan erected during that first Mass on March 31, 1521 — and statues of Santo Nino de Cebu and Our Lady of Manaoag as they travel to a new church each month. After attending Mass in the cross’s presence, participants will get their Pilgrim Passports stamped by a parish representative. Then, when the pilgrimage concludes in March 2022, passports with at least 10 stamps will be entered into a raffle for the chance to win one of several major prizes.

These prizes are far from the typical church raffle rewards, with two winners receiving a trip to the Holy Land, one winner getting a visit to the Philippines, and two winners earning free shipping on numerous balikbayan boxes (care packages) they can send to loved ones. But Father Manolo insists these remarkable gifts are not the true prize of the pilgrimage. The real reward for Filipinos is getting the chance to give thanks for their religion, he said.

“The Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia, so we were really gifted to receive our faith,” Father Manolo, who is the pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church in Mahwah, said. “I hope people realize how gifted they are to be Catholic, and that it strengthens their faith. Where would we be if we weren’t Catholic?”

Catholicism is indeed a huge aspect of Filipino culture. According to the latest statistics reported by the Pew Research Center in 2015, approximately 76 million Filipinos — about 81 percent of the population — identify as Catholic, making the Philippines the nation with the third-largest Catholic population in the world. Moreover, a 2017 survey from Filipino polling institution Social Weather Stations found that 78 percent of Filipinos consider religion to be a “very important” part of their life.

Considering this religious passion, Father Manolo wanted to find special ways of celebrating the pilgrims’ faith throughout the year-long initiative. Thus, each parish that hosts the Jubilee Cross and statues will also highlight one Filipino faith expression or popular devotion like Simbang Gabi — a series of Masses leading up to Christmas — at some point during their designated month. Doing so will allow the Filipinos to worship as fervently as they are accustomed to while also giving them a taste of their homeland, he said.

“It’s like finding home away from home,” Father Manolo said. “Even though they’re here, they can still celebrate the richness of our culture and tradition as Filipino Catholics.”

Many Filipinos are indeed seizing the opportunity to celebrate their faith. Father Alex Cruz, pastor of Divine Mercy Parish in Rahway, said he noticed roughly 100 to 200 new faces in his pews every week his church hosted the Jubilee Cross and statues in April. And they were not there just for the chance to win the prizes. Father Alex said several visitors told him they were not even bothering to get their passports stamped — they simply wanted to pray before the cross.   

Seeing this devotion pleased Father Alex, but it did not surprise him. Filipinos and faith are intertwined like “body and soul,” he explained, so it is understandable why so many are participating in the pilgrimage. More than that, he said most Filipinos feel compelled to share their faith, which is why they engage in evangelization efforts around the world.

And after experiencing this Jubilee Cross pilgrimage, Father Alex hopes even more will commit to spreading the Word.

“We were gifted with our faith, so now it’s our turn to pass it on,” Father Alex said, pointing out that Filipinos can do anything from becoming church lectors to volunteering at their parish’s food pantry. “I’m hoping that this will encourage all the Filipinos to become evangelizers helping to strengthen the faith of everyone they meet. I’m hoping that they’ll become shining examples of what it means to be Catholic.”

Emmie Manulat was already heavily involved with organizing activities at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Belleville, but the parishioner has grown even more inspired now that she is experiencing the pilgrimage. In fact, Manulat has started driving a group of people to see the Jubilee Cross each month. Even some of her non-Filipino friends have expressed an interest in joining the pilgrimage, she said.

Manulat loves participating in the pilgrimage because she enjoys visiting various parishes and seeing the different ways they celebrate Mass. Additionally, she said it is a pleasure to be reminded of attending church with her family as a girl in the Philippines, where she grew up close to the location Magellan held the first Mass in Cebu. Manulat is now far from her relatives back home, but she said her faith always sustains her. And she appreciates the chance to pay tribute to her religion through the pilgrimage.

“It’s a very nice experience for me, and I’m glad I’m doing it,” Manulat said. “It’s a beautiful experience because you get to grow in your spiritual journey and meet people on the same spiritual journey. And you get to pray for others, which is very rewarding.”

But the pilgrimage is not the only opportunity to honor the 500th anniversary. Following a Mass on the actual March 31 anniversary at St. Joseph Church in Lodi and a Jubilee Mass at St. Aloysius Church in Jersey City this past April, the Archdiocese will host a celebration of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila and Saint Pedro Calungsod at Newark’s Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica in September. It will also celebrate Simbang Gabi at the Cathedral on Dec. 14.

Finally, the year-long celebration will culminate at the Cathedral in March when Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, holds an anniversary Mass commemorating the Gospel’s arrival in the Philippines. Cardinal Tobin also wrote a pastoral letter celebrating the Filipino parishioners’ faith, which can be read here.

Father Manolo hopes everyone will attend these upcoming festivities, pointing out that this is a wonderful way to unite the Filipino community.

“It’s a joy to come together and celebrate the gift of our faith,” Father Manolo said.

To request a Pilgrim Passport, inquire at one of the participating churches or contact Father Manolo at 973-570-6088 or fr.manolo@iccmahwah.org. Click here to access the full program for the year-long 500th anniversary celebration, which includes the schedule for when each church will host the Jubilee Cross.