Flores De Mayo / Santa Cruzan 2025 in the Parish of Santa Barbara

This month, we celebrate Flores de Mayo and Santa Cruzan, two traditional Filipino festivities filled with color, joy, and spirituality.

Flores de Mayo is a celebration honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, where people offer flowers and pray the rosary as a tribute to her. Meanwhile, Santa Cruzan is a procession commemorating the search for the True Cross by Saint Helena.

Through these celebrations, we express our devotion and faith in God and the Blessed Mother. Let's come together to celebrate Flores de Mayo and Santa Cruzan with joy, love, and reverence!

The towns particularly in Iloilo has their respective puroks or streets and the barangays which has their respective chapel or house of prayer or even in the church where an image of the Virgin Mary is venerated and children gathers to have a simple catechism and teachings about the life and story of Mary, history of Marian apparitions, Christian doctrines and values, holistic values and virtues and other life's teachings. They were also taught some prayers and some songs uniquely recited only during the Flores de Mayo and the children offer some flowers before the image of the Virgin Mary as a symbol of love, affection and veneration. This is a commemoration and reminiscent of the Our Lady of Fatima apparition to the three children which first took place on May 13 in 1917. After a while, they were offered some snacks.

Some churches and areas are giving children some paper tickets for actively participating and doing well during the catechism in which at the end of the month of May which also coincides with the end of the Flores de Mayo, the children redeem the value of the tickets which are school supplies ready for the school opening. Until 2019, this was in June, the supplies are brought currently in August or September beginning 2020, depending on the date set by the Department of Education. With the switch of the calendar, the paper ticket tradition among these children also mark one of the final salvos of the school year. Santacruzan is usually held during the last few days of May to coincide with the end of the catechism for children.

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image of Reyna Elena and Constantine the Great

Aside from Flores De Mayo another festive is held on the Parish of Santa Barbara, that is the Great Santa Cruzan, which honored and commemorate the sacred mission of Empress Helena to find the one true cross

In 326 CE, she traveled to the Holy Land, where she is credited with building the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and discovering the True Cross.

Her efforts also included the restoration of Christian sites that had been converted into pagan temples.

Through her influence, Helena facilitated the building of churches in holy places, strengthening the spiritual connection between faith and the land where Christianity originated.

Her mission was not only physical or political but profoundly spiritual, enabling generations of Christians to come closer to key moments in the life of Christ.

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