A Good Friday in Cainta

Good Friday is the day that Catholics commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. In our town in Cainta, this is one of the busiest days during the Holy Week. From morning to night there are various programs that showcase and honor the life of Jesus Christ.

the Cainta Church

The first activity in the morning is the Senakulo or play re-enacting the trial of Jesus Christ with Pontius Pilate followed by a procession of the characters at the play. The Senakulo is held at the town plaza just across the church.

the traffic and procession at the town plaza

After watching the Senakulo, people will then flocked to the church to do the way of the cross and pray. The Cainta Church, both have the new and old way of the cross posted at its wall. After the way of the cross my sister and I went at the back of church to light some candles near the grotto of the Our Lady of Lourdes.

inside the Cainta Church

the grotto 

candles lighted

At the afternoon, there is a mass held at around 3’o clock for the death of the Christ. It was believed that Jesus died at 3 in the afternoon. After the mass, people will now be preparing for the procession of the various images of saints, and Disciples of Christ. The procession also includes The Pieta and the Amba or the image of the dead Jesus inside a glass coffin. The procession would last until 2 hours or more depending on the number of people joining and traffic.

the afternoon mass

During the procession, the church is open for devotees and my grandmother used to tell us that devotees and parishioners can kiss at the feet of the image of the dead Jesus.

the Amba

the Pieta

After the procession, people who have joined and lighted the way of the statues are invited for dinner at the house of the owner of the said statues. This is a way of saying thank you for providing light and joining the procession.

the statues after the procession

At night, the people of Cainta will then watch the Senakulo. The Senakulo usually starts at around 9 o’clock. When I was little, the Senakulo is held in a rice field just across our house. Now, the Senakulo that we used to watch is being held near the town hall. The show at the Senakulo would usually ends at past midnight.