The Roman Catholic Church will celebrate on Wednesday, May 17, the Feast of San Pascual (Paschal) Baylon, one of Obando, Bulacan’s three revered patron saints.
Iba Bishop Bartolome Santos, Jr. will preside over a concelebrated mass in his honor at 8 a.m. at the San Pascual Baylon Parish (Obando Church) in Obando, Bulacan.
The mass will be preceded by a procession with fertility dance at 7:30 a.m. A solemn procession will be held at 6:30 p.m.
Holy masses will also be celebrated at 5 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 4 p.m., and at 5:30 p.m. during the three-day Obando Fertility Fiesta from May 17 to 19.
Novena masses in honor of San Pascual were offered from May 8 to 16.
Born on May 16, 1540, San Pascual was a Spanish Franciscan lay brother and mystic whose intercession is often sought by unmarried individuals to find a suitable life partner. His piety drew people to him who sought his counsel. A devotee of the Blessed Sacrament, he lived a life of prayer, penance, and mortification from youth. He died on May 17, 1592, at the age of 52. Many miracles were reported at his tomb.
San Pascual was born and died on the Feast of the Pentecost.
He was canonized on October 16, 1690, by Pope Alexander VIII and in 1897 was declared patron saint of Eucharistic confraternities and societies by Pope Leo XIII.
Meanwhile, the feast of Santa Clara de Assisi will be celebrated on May 18, Thursday, with a procession and fertility dance at 7:30 a.m. Malolos Bishop Dennis C. Villarojo will preside over a concelebrated mass at 8 a.m. at the Obando Church. A solemn procession will be held at 6:30 p.m.
The last day of Obando’s Fertility Fiesta on Friday, May 19, will be observed in honor of Nuestra Senora de Salambao. A procession with fertility dance will be held at 7:30 a.m. It will be followed by a concelebrated mass to be officiated by Kalookan Bishop and CBCP president Pablo Virgilio David at 8 a.m.
Balanga Bishop Ruperto C. Santos will lead the concelebrated mass in the evening at 5:30 p.m.