Misa de Gallo 2004

It's great to hear the dawn Mass again here in Davao. My last one was before the turn of the new millenium. The last Misa de Gallo I had was in St Andrew's Parish in Makati City, while I was working for Zurich in 2000.

Attending Mass in Immaculate Conception church in my place brings back memories of my youth. When I was still in high school, I served as altar boy and would always be present in dawn masses. It was much fun then as I went to mass with many friends, unlike now that I go by my lonesome.

The church has not changed much; the old ceiling was installed shortly after I left Holy Cross of Mintal. Now the painting has been pale and the church floor is dusty. It seemed to me that the place became narrower especially the entrance leading to the church grounds.

Same as before, most of those attending are excited school folks eager to meet their sleepy eyed pals at the end of the church entrance. Not much old people there but maybe I was just seated near to those youthful faces; I don't let my eyes wander around. I never heard the songs sang for a long time. The piano accompaniment used to have guitars, banjo, flute and bass. I wonder where those instrumentalists went; I wish they're still alive and well.

I have heard masses in downtown Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Manila and Hong Kong since I left UIC and I can say those churches away from ICP were more glamorous and well-kept. But owing to the fact that I had my first communion, baptism and service as member of Knights of the Altar, Lectors Group and Legion of Mary makes the place much more meaningful to me.

I never missed the firecrackers which used to wake up sleepy souls seated inside the church. It made the celebration of Christmas in Davao City less raucous and more solemn than in the past years.