400 Filipino Priests Visit Newark Cathedral To Celebrate Mass (VIDEO)

NEWARK, NJ — Nearly 400 Filipino Catholic priests from across the nation recently converged in Newark for a landmark “cultural celebration.”

The clergy members gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart to attend a Mass led by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations.

The festivities — which were held as part of the National Association of Filipino Priests (NAFP-USA)’s Fourth Assembly — began with a jubilant procession of Filipino Catholics carrying items representing the Philippines’ religious traditions like Simbang Gabi and Sinulog.

Caccia then presided over a Mass where he reflected on his previous role as the Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines, recalling that the locals there were as warm to him as the nation’s severely humid climate. He said it was a “joy” seeing so many immigrant priests, whose willingness to move across the globe so that they can spread the gospel is “truly admirable.”

“I remember I celebrated a Mass in the Philippines where young people went out into the sea and put floating candles in the water to symbolize the light of faith,” Caccia told attendees. “You priests are all the light because you go and tell the good news to everyone in all parts of the world.”

According to the Archdiocese of Newark, the state of New Jersey is home to 143,845 Filipinos — according to 2018 U.S. Census Bureau data — with a 2023 Pew Research Center survey finding that most Filipino Americans (54%) identify as Catholic.

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