Attending the Misa de Gallo as a Freelancer

The Philippine Christmas season is the longest in the world. While it officially starts on December 16 or the first day of the Simbang Gabi or the Misa de Gallo, it actually starts earlier . . . much, much earlier.  It officially ends on the Feast of the Epiphany on the first Sunday of January of the following year. However, there are instances when the Christmas holiday season extends up to the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9 or the Feast of the Santo Nino on the third Sunday of January.

Working as an online freelance worker gives me the opportunity to do things I may not have the time to do when I used to be a regular employee. One of the things that I may have a hard time in doing is attending the nine-day Misa de Gallo novena masses. This year, I decided to attend the Misa de Gallo masses after not having done it for the past few years. To make it interesting, I decided to attend mass in different churches for each day of the Misa de Gallo novena. Nine churches in nine days. 

Archdiocesan Church of St. Therese

The first church I went to was the Archdiocesan Church of St. Therese since it was close to where I currently live in. It would also a good way to start off the novena as my body clock was still adjusting to the new schedule for the next nine days.

Asilo de la Milagrosa Church

The second church I attended mass in was the Asilo de la Milagrosa Church along Gorrordo Avenue. Way back when I was still a teacher, I used to pass by the church before going to work.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish Church 

On the third day, I went to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish Church along Escario Street. The church is actually undergoing renovation, which explains why monobloc chairs were used in place of the usual pews of the church.

Basilica Minore del Santo Nino

Since the fourth day was a weekend, I decided to attend mass at the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino. The mass was held at the Pilgrim Center since it could accommodate more people. It can be recalled that the bell tower of the church was destroyed during the 2013 earthquake that devastated Bohol.

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

On the fifth day, I went to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral for the dawn mass. The cathedral was packed with people who wanted to complete the nine days of the Misa de Gallo novena.

St. Joseph the Patriarch Parish Church 

The sixth church I went to was St. Joseph the Patriarch Parish Church in Mabolo. I used to attend the 1:30 PM Sunday masses here since I typically wake up very late on Sundays.

Carmelite Monastery

On the seventh day, I went to the Carmelite Monastery for the Misa de Gallo mass. It was once said that if you are planning to organize an outdoor activity, it is advisable to offer a basket of eggs to the Carmelite nuns to ensure it does not rain on the day of your event. This made me wonder if the nuns actually cooked these eggs or they sold them at the market. With the number of activities held each year, they probably have more than enough eggs to last them a couple of lifetimes.

Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church

The eighth church I went to was the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Decades ago, I can remember attending Sunday mass here together with the whole family when my dad was still alive. One thing I noticed about this church is the fact that the whole place is air-conditioned. While there are a number of chapels around the city with air-conditioning, this is the first major church I went to that is air-conditioned.

Redemptorist Church

On the final day of the Misa de Gallo, I attended mass at the Redemptorist Church. I specifically ended the nine-day novena here since this church is the most memorable for me. I had my first confession and first communion here since I attended elementary in a school that is just a stone-throw’s away from the church. The church brings back a lot of childhood memories since we also used to come here for Sunday masses when my dad was still with us.

Nine Days, Nine Churches

Completing the nine days of the Misa de Gallo is something many Filipinos look forward to each year. And for me, attending mass in nine different churches in nine days was quite interesting experience.