What’s happening on the 1st of January 2018?
In one months’ time, on the 1st of January 2018, the Parish of Kristus Aman will be celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God as its Patronal Feast. We would be celebrating a Triduum of Masses from the 29th of December (Friday) till the 31st of December 2017. The celebrations would culminate with mass and a Marian procession on the Feast Day, 1st of January 2018. This year, we are privileged and blessed to have Fr. Esmond Chua, OFM, a son of our parish, to be preacher throughout the Triduum and Feast.
What is the significance of the chosen date?
Every parish is entitled to celebrate as a solemnity (first class feast), the following three:
A) Feast of its Dedication
B) Titular Feast which refers to the title or name of the Church
C) Patronal Feast for when the parish has a patron apart from its title/name
Being a chapel, which is meant to be a temporary place of worship, the Chapel of Kristus Aman has never been dedicated. Thus, we cannot celebrate the Feast of its Dedication.
The name of the chapel, Kristus Aman can be translated from the local vernacular to mean “Peace of Christ”. Technically, this titular does not conform to the requirement of Liturgical law (see note below), since there is no specific Feast of the Peace of Christ. Thus, we cannot celebrate its Titular Feast.
Our Parish Pastoral Council has, however, chosen to celebrate our Parish Feast on the 1st of January to coincide with the World Day of Peace (which was first observed universally by the Catholic Church in 1968) since our Parish’s titular is the Peace of Christ (which is not celebrated on any date in the Roman Liturgical Calendar). In addition to being the World Day of Peace, the 1st of January is also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Thus, the choice of Our Lady under her title “Mother of God” is the most appropriate and suitable choice as the patron of our chapel.
What are the important dates leading up to the Patronal Feast?
8 Dec 2017 - Blessing of the processional statue during Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
10 Dec 2017 - A movie on” Mary of Nazareth” will be screened on Sunday 10th Dec’17 @ 2.30pm. The movie will depict the life of Mary, her faith & trust in God & her closeness with Christ.
29 - 31 Dec 2017 - Triduum of Masses
1 Jan 2017 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: Kristus Aman Patronal Feast Day
N.B. According to The Roman Pontifical’s “Dedication of a Church and An Altar” (1989), “Every church to be dedicated must have a titular” (Chapter 2, “Dedication of a Church,” par. 4). The document explains: “This may be: The Blessed Trinity; our Lord Jesus Christ invoked according to a mystery of his life or a title already accepted in the liturgy; the Holy Spirit; the Blessed Virgin Mary, likewise invoked according to some appellation already accepted in the liturgy; one of the angels; or, finally, a saint inscribed in the Roman Martyrology or in a duly approved Appendix. A blessed may not be the titular without an indult of the Apostolic See” (Chapter 2, “Dedication of a Church,” par. 4).