By Voice staff

Catholic Filipinos in the Oakland Diocese will gather June 13 at the Cathedral of Christ the Light to celebrate their culture and their faith. “Tanglaw 2009: Celebrating the Filipino Catholic Spirit” will begin with a 9:30 a.m. procession on the cathedral grounds followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. presided by Bishop Salvatore Cordileone. Bishop Cordileone is a member of the U.S. bishops’ Task Force on Cultural Diversity and served many immigrant communities as the auxiliary bishop in San Diego before being appointed to Oakland last month.

Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, OMI, will preside at the second Mass of the day — at 2 p.m. Bishop Quevedo, who is visiting the Bay Area, is archbishop of Cotabato in the Philippines. He has served on the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, is past president of the Philippine Bishops Conference, and was re-elected secretary-general of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference.

Between noon and 2 p.m. Filipino musicians and dancers will provide entertainment on the cathedral plaza and food booths will sell Filipino specialties including lumpia and pancit and other regional foods.

There are an estimated 150,000 Filipinos in the Oakland Diocese and they bring their spirituality and devotion to the parishes where they worship, including Simbang Gabi during Advent, Santo Nino in January and Flores de Mayo.

Filipino liturgical songs and dance will be incorporated into both Masses on June 13.

The celebration, which planners hope will become an annual event, is “a milestone honoring the contribution of Filipinos throughout the diocese as all of us continue to know Christ better and to make Christ better known,” said Father Geoffrey Baraan, chairman of the planning committee.

Both Filipinos and non-Filipinos are invited to attend. Participants are asked to arrive at 9 a.m. to prepare for the 9:30 a.m. procession.

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