Bishop Jaime Soto and Auxiliary Bishop Rey Bersabal will preside at Masses for Simbang Gabi, the nine days of Novena Masses before Christmas.
The schedule of Masses is as follows:
Friday, Dec. 13: 9 a.m. in St. Ignatius Church in Sacramento (Bishop Bersabal)
Monday, Dec. 16: 6 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento (Bishop Soto)
Tuesday, Dec. 17: 6:30 p.m. in St. Joseph Church in Elk Grove (Bishop Bersabal)
Wednesday, Dec. 18: 5 a.m. in St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Vallejo (Bishop Soto); 6:30 p.m. in Our Lady of Grace Church in West Sacramento (Bishop Bersabal)
Thursday, Dec. 19: 5:30 a.m. in Good Shepherd Church in Elk Grove and 7 p.m. in St. Joseph Church in Vacaville (Bishop Bersabal)
Friday, Dec. 20: 6 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento and 7 p.m. in Holy Spirit Church in Fairfield (Bishop Bersabal) and 5:30 a.m. in St. Maria Goretti Church in Elk Grove (Bishop Soto)
Saturday, Dec. 21: 5 p.m. in St. Catherine of Siena Church in Vallejo (Bishop Bersabal)
Sunday, Dec. 22: 7 p.m. in Divine Mercy Church in Sacramento (Bishop Bersabal)
Monday, Dec. 23: 7 p.m. in St. John the Baptist Church in Folsom (Bishop Bersabal)
Simbang Gabi (evening Mass) traces its origin to Mexico when, in 1587, an evening Christmas Mass was held outdoors to accommodate the huge number of people.
A century later, missionaries brought it to the Philippines, where it was expanded into a novena of nine consecutive Masses before Christmas as a way of teaching the natives about the birth of the Messiah. It is among the oldest traditions in the Philippines.
Celebrating the Masses before dawn allowed the farmers, mostly men, to come to church with their families and start the day with worship before they go off to their fields. Filipino immigrants bring the tradition with them as they move to, or work in, foreign countries. Various parishes in the diocese are celebrating Simbang Gabi.