A Glimpse at the Asian Mass
By Rev. Louis C. Zee
This is the 20th Asian Mass in Galveston-Houston Archdiocese. When Auxiliary Bishop Curtis Guillory was the ethnic vicar of African and Asian affairs in the Archdiocese, he encouraged the Asian communities to have a joint liturgical celebration once a year in the autumn for the following reasons:
- To express the same Catholic Faith in Asian cultures
- To integrate themselves in the greater Catholic community
- To have greater interaction among the Asian communities.
The first Asian Mass was celebrated in 1996 with Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza presiding. The original Asian communities that participated were Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, Koreans, and Vietnamese. In the year of 2005, the Indonesians formally joined as a distinct individual community.
The Asian Mass is always scheduled in the afternoon on a chosen Sunday. The venue depends on which church is available and big enough to accommodate about 1200 people.
People from different Asian Communities are encouraged to dress up in their native fineries, that is in their traditional national and ethnic costumes. When facilities were available, some ethnic snacks, native songs and dances were provided to give an added Asian flavor.
The Mass is offered in English, but the first two readings of the Mass and the general intercessions are in the languages of participating communities.
With grateful hearts, the Asian communities give thanks to God. With deep appreciation, we give thanks to all the participants for their graciousness. May God bless all of us!
