Events

Simbáng Gabi 2020

Simbáng Gabi 2020 Update

As we all know, the continuing pandemic has posed many challenges in our parish life and an end does not seem to be in the foreseeable future.  For this reason, in consultation with the Asian Catholic Initiative I would like to offer the following directives regarding the observance of this year's Simbang Gabi 2020.

  1. There will be no official Archdiocesan Simbang Gabi schedule posted this year.

  2. If Simbang Gabi leaders at a particular parish still want to do something, follow these guidelines:

    • Ask your pastor first before planning!  If he is okay with having a Mass on one day during the novena period, then proceed to the next guidelines outlined below.
    • Plan for only one night—parishes that had normally held Simbang Gabi/Misa De Gallo services for all nine days of the novena are asked to refrain from that this year to make the sanitizing procedures easier on volunteers

  3. Follow your parish's protocol regarding celebrating Mass during the pandemic all of which are based on the directives issued by the Archdiocese:

    • Follow your parish's protocols regarding capacity for Mass attendance, pre-registration, use of face mask, hand sanitizer, social distancing in church, and sanitizing procedures after Mass
    • Children under 18 are not to be involved in ministries including being altar servers
    • There is to be no collection basket passed around nor offertory procession during Mass
    • Extraordinary Ministers of Communion (if used) must comply with your parish's guidelines
    • For music, it MUST be restricted to just ONE musician and ONE cantor both following the prescribed protocols
  4. DO NOT plan on any sort of reception/program after Mass since current guidelines prohibit indoor gatherings of more than 50 people.

REMEMBER the more important aspect to the Simbang Gabi novena is the Mass so even without a reception/program and a more low key celebration, the spirit of Simbang Gabi will still be there.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].