ABOUT US...

The Filipino Community of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Ontario has been privileged to be able to celebrate our religious and cultural traditions. We have been fortunate to have for 25+ years starting from Msgr. Laurenco Avila, founder of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton continued on with Rev. Charles Schultz, STD and now our current Pastor, Fr. Cristobal Subosa to let us celebrate, express and share our heritage with our parish and diocesan community.

Among the various religious & cultural traditions that we celebrate annually are:

1. Sto. Nino Feast – 2^nd Saturday of January. This beautiful devotion to the Holy Child Jesus is found in all Catholic homes across the entire Philippines. At our celebration and fellowship, we give out statuettes of the Santo Niño as a remembrance.

2. Santacruzan - 2^nd Saturday in the month of May, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the season of colorful festivals. This Filipino tradition, introduced by the Spanish conquerors, is more than 100 years old and lives on even in Europe and America. At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton we celebrate the Santacruzan with the same pageantry and glamour as the townsfolk in our homeland.

3. Flores De Mayo (Flowers of May) – also celebrated in the month of May usually with our Santacruzan. We pray the rosary, offer flowers to the Virgin Mary, and share homemade delicacies as the community gathers together in fellowship.

4. Simbang Gabi – begins formally on Dec. 16^th with attendance at the first of nine-day masses and continues on until Dec. 24^th. Simbang Gabi is celebrated as part of the Diocesan Filipino Ministry of San Bernardino in different parishes.

5. Filipino Cultural Night – gives us the opportunity to experience our Filipino culture through artistic and traditional performances and unique delicacies to educate and enlighten the audience with the beauty of the Filipino culture.