Members of the Filipino-American Association of the Quad Cities process around the parking lot of St. John Vianney Parish in Bettendorf May 31. The community celebrated Santa Cruzan with a procession, followed by Mass and a reception.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
BETTENDORF — Members of the Filipino-American Association of the Quad Cities (Fil-Am) processed through the parking lot of St. John Vianney Parish reciting the rosary’s joyful mysteries in English and singing songs in Filipino for Santa Cruzan. A statue of Mary, flowered trellises and girls carrying flowers also were part of the procession. A Mass and reception followed May 31.
Fil-Am Vice President Chris Kellner said the month of May is important to the Filipino community and culminates with Santa Cruzan, which commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross and the pilgrimage led by Queen Helena of Constantinople. It is “rooted in deep Catholic devotion and richly woven into Filipino heritage,” Kellner said.
Throughout the month, in a tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary, “devotees gather to offer flowers, recite the rosary and sing hymns,” said Fil-Am President Amy Devera. Called Flores de Mayo, (“Flowers of May”), this tradition, introduced “during the Spanish colonial era, remains a vibrant symbol of the Filipinos’ enduring Marian devotion.”
“The crowning event of Flores de Mayo is the Santa Cruzan, typically held on the last day of May,” Kellner said. “This grand procession commemorates the historic legend of Queen Helena (Reyna Elena) and her son, Emperor Constantine the Great, as they journeyed to Jerusalem in search of the True Cross, the very cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The Fil-Am Association celebrates the Flores de Mayo/Santa Cruzan that has transformed the local community into a living tableau of faith.”
During the procession May 31, participants walked behind a canopy of blooms and a statue of Mary pulled by Fil-Am members. Santa Cruzan is more than a procession, Devera said. “It is a living expression of Filipino values, faith in God, respect for history, love for beauty and strength in community.”
“Family, neighbors and friends stand united in tradition, hope and cultural pride,” Kellner said. “That has been the goal for the Fil-Am Association of the Quad Cities, to unite the families and bring the community closer together through faith.”
Father Rudolph Juarez, pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Davenport, presided at Mass. During the homily, he told the group of around 100 members and friends, “It is an honor and a privilege to be with you. On occasion, I have been asked if I am Filipino. The answer is the same. No, but I wish I were! That is the honest truth,” he said. He pointed out the Spanish influence in the Philippines and in Mexico. “We have something in common.”
Celebrating the Feast of the Ascension, Father Juarez said some argue the Ascension is a farewell. “It is actually a commissioning that Christ will return again to judge the living and the dead. There is work to be done.”
He encouraged the gathering to look around and see what changes they can help bring about to make the world a better place. “Call on your friends. Speak (God’s) words. See the great need. Know that in your heart that Jesus loves you. We are not bidding farewell, but commissioning.”
