Salt Lake City Fil-Ams to hold scaled-down Santacruzan

A previous Salt Lake City Santacruzan procession.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Filipino Catholic community here is celebrating May, the month of devotions to Our Lady Mary, with its traditional Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May), a 9-day novena concluding with the Santacruzan, a religious-historical beauty pageant depicting the finding of the True Cross by Queen Helena, mother of Constantine the Great.

The Salt Lake City Filipino community’s biennial Santacruzan procession has young people portraying Queen Helena and other historical and scriptural figures. The procession leads to a Mass and a community gathering. Due to the pandemic, only a small fete will be held this year at the Cathedral of the Madeleine together with the May 15 evening Mass.

Before the Mass, members of the Misang Bayan, a community group, will lead a recitation of the rosary at 4:30 p.m. Then, just before the beginning of the Mass, five couples will process to the altar, carrying statues depicting different representations of the Virgin Mary, along with lighted candles and flowers to lay at the altar.

The participants will sing “Dios Te Salve Maria,” (“God Save You, Mary”). The Mass will then be celebrated by Bishop Oscar A. Solis, who is a native of the Philippines. A small Misang Bayan contingent will participate in the Mass this year, but the event will be  livestreamed at https://www.utcotm.org/, Misang Bayan Coordinator Marina Fernandez said.

“For me, I think it’s important to remind us of our Catholic faith and the richness of our Filipino culture so that we don’t forget,” Fernandez said. “During this pandemic, Mary should still be celebrated.”

WHAT: Santacruzan Marian Celebration

WHEN: Saturday, May 15, begins with rosary at 4:30 p.m. prior to the 5 p.m. Mass

WHERE: Cathedral of the Madeleine, 309 E. South Temple, SLC

Onsite seating will be limited due to pandemic concerns, but the event will be livestreamed at https://www.utcotm.org/