"Reason is always a kind of brute force; those who appeal to the head rather than the heart, however pallid and polite, are necessarily men of violence. We speak of 'touching' a man's heart, but we can do nothing to his head but hit it." --G.K. Chesterton

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Celebrating 'Santacruzan'


One of the benefits of all the door-knocking and group-meeting with which I've been engaged for the past month has been the opportunity to meet so many new people and become associated with so many outstanding organizations. This morning, I spent time with members of the Filipino community here in Coquitlam who are hard at work organzing a big event for next month.

It's called "Santacruzan." Also known as "Flores de Mayo," it's a religious festival, in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is traditionally celebrated in May with a parade of colourfully decorated floats and elaborately dressed participants representing biblical and historical figures, under a canopy of elaborate floral arches. The photo above shows a typical procession in the Phillipines.

Coquitlam's "Santacruzan" will start with an assembly at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at the gym at Our Lady of Fatima School. The procession then goes along Alderson Ave., up Allison Str., along Edgar Ave, then finally down Walker Str., ending at Our Lady of Fatima Church, where a mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. It'll all be followed by a Dinner and Dance at the Church Hall, starting at 6 p.m.

Santacruzan is shaping up to be both a great spectacle and a moving spiritual experience. The public is invited to watch and then to join in the fun at the Dinner and Dance. Tickets are $20 each, and can be obtained by contacting Myrna Mata at 604.524.4393 or 778.889.4664, or by emailing mlmata@telus.net.

Oh yes: watch for me at the dinner-dance selling raffle tickets!

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