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The “Lion Dance” was performed on the cathedral steps after the Mass. Performed in costumes mimicking the movements of a lion, the traditional Chinese New Year dance symbolizes good luck and prosperity. (Photos by Dennis Callahan/Catholic San Francisco)
The 27th Annual Chinese New Year Mass coordinated by the archdiocese’s Office of Chinese Ministry was celebrated Feb. 24 at St. Mary’s Cathedral with more than 500 faithful attending. The afternoon included a ritual dance venerating the memory of ancestors and a fundraising banquet in St. Mary’s Patrons’ Hall.
“In celebrating the Lunar New Year, we may promote Chinese cultural traditions and manifest the love of Christ,” Father Peter L. Zhai, SVD, archdiocesan director of Chinese ministry, told Catholic San Francisco. “We express our great gratitude toward God at the joyful celebration of the New Year of the Dog.”
Principal celebrant and homilist Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone was joined on the altar by two retired San Francisco auxiliary bishops – Bishop William J. Justice and Bishop Ignatius Wang – as well as by retired Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh and a half-dozen local priests and deacons. In his homily, the archbishop linked the liturgical season of Lent with the “time of renewal” that marks the celebration of the Chinese New Year.
Father Zhai said he was thankful for those in the Chinese Catholic community who helped organize the event. “I am really inspired by the faithfulness and dedication to Chinese ministries and to spreading the Gospel of love to all people,” he said.
Traditional Chinese dancers perform a ritual dance called “Veneration of the Ancestors” during the 27th Annual Chinese New Year Mass on Feb. 24 at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Principal celebrant and homilist Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone was joined on the altar by two retired San Francisco auxiliary bishops – Bishop William J. Justice and Bishop Ignatius Wang – as well as by retired Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh and a half-dozen local priests and deacons.
Many generations of Chinese families attended the Mass, many of them honoring ancestors in the Mass program.