First Easter Sunday Mass ; Easter Sunday Easter Lent Catholic Online

In light of the 500 year anniversary of the first mass in the country the national historical commission of the philippines nhcp has confirmed that portugese explorer ferdinand magellan and his spanish crew celebrated the first mass in limasawa island southern leyte.

Central eastern time zone line kentucky. In a resolution dated july 15 but released only on wednesday the nhcp adopted a recommendation that the island off southern leyte be sustained as the site of the historic mass. The franciscan missionaries of the eternal word offer the mass each sunday from the ewtn chapel in irondale al. Nhcp confirms first easter sunday mass held in limasawa island.

The site of the first easter sunday mass in the philippines in march 31 1521 is limasawa a municipality in what is now southern leyte. Its settled a panel of experts has affirmed earlier records that the march 31 1521 easter sunday mass held by portuguese explorer ferdinand magellan and his spanish contingent took place in. It was conducted by father pedro de valderrama along the shores of what was referred to in the journals of antonio pigafetta as mazaua.

2 which cites the recommendation of the mojares panel that limasawa island in southern leyte be officially declared as the site of the first easter sunday mass in the philippines that was held in 1521. However the reopening of the historical controversy happened in 2018 when nhcp received a number of requests from various institutions including the cbcp to reexamine the earlier decisions of the nhi. The statement seeks to sustain a government ruling on the matter and resolve a standing controversy about the significant catholic events actual location.

But the panel recommended to the nhcp and to the butuan based scholars to explore further the historical significance of butuan as a pre colonial trading center. Today this site is widely believed by many historians and the government to be limasawa at the tip of southern leyte though this was contested by some who assert that the first mass was instead held at masao butuan. Services during the daytime on easter are shorter and well attended.

Most catholics attend easter vigil at midnight although the services can be lengthy because many sacraments are performed such as baptisms and rite of christian initiation for adults during the mass. And one of these events was the first easter sunday mass celebrated by father pedro valderama chaplain of the fernando magallanes ferdinand magellan expedition on march 31 1521 in the island of limasawa southern leyte. On july 15 2020 the nhcp board of commissioners also adopted resolution no.

Preparing for the quincentennial of the introduction to christianity the exact location wasnt without controversy. Both panels ruled that the site of the 1521 easter sunday mass was in limasawa island now a municipality in southern leyte. The first documented catholic mass in the philippines was held on march 31 1521 easter sunday.

The mass held by ferdinand magellan marks the birth of christianity in the philippines. Easter in the roman catholic church is always on the first sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.