Archbishop José H. Gomez will preside at the liturgy. The Mass will be preceded by the traditional music band that leads the “Parade of Parols,” or lanterns, of more than 120 parishes from the five pastoral regions in the tri-county Archdiocese (LA, Santa Barbara and Ventura). The parols, a Philippine Christmas symbol, will be blessed at the end of the Mass. In the Philippines, the parol is used to light up people’s homes and is carried by parishioners attending Simbang Gabi Mass, or “Mass before dawn.” The procession will also include parols of religious Filipino-American organizations, civic and professional organizations, and government offices, usually led by the Philippine Consulate General.
Simbang Gabi is a time-honored Philippine novena of Masses joyfully leading to the celebration of the birth of the child Jesus on Christmas Day.
You can view the live stream of the Mass at the LA Catholics Youtube Channel.