Filipino Catholics at Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling brought a cultural tradition to the Arlington diocese for what they believe is the first time: Salubong.
Salubong, Tagalog for “meeting,” is an Easter dawn reenactment of the encounter of Christ and his mother on the day of his Resurrection. Statues of the Risen Christ and the Virgin Mary are processed from two different starting points and meet in front of the church to begin the celebration.
Approximately 300 Catholics participated in the 5:30 a.m. procession, mostly members of the Filipino and Hispanic communities. By the time Mass began 30 minutes later, the congregation reached an estimated 600 attendees.
Mass was multilingual, with portions in Tagalog, Spanish and English. The Mass was celebrated by Missionhurst Father Celso Tabalanza, the order’s U.S. provincial superior, and Father Mauricio Portillo, parochial vicar of Christ the Redeemer, concelebrated. Deacon Ping Averia, chair of the Filipino Catholic Community from St. Leo the Great Church in Fairfax, and Deacon Marvin Muhat from St. James Church in Falls Church assisted.
Following Mass, attendees enjoyed fellowship over coffee and donuts. The Filipino Catholic Community and the diocesan Office of Multicultural Ministries hope to continue this Easter Day tradition.
Find out more
To get involved in the Filipino Catholic community, or other cultural communities, contact the Office of Multicultural Ministries at [email protected] or go to arlingtondiocese.org/multicultural.
