Fr Leonard Dollentas
Flores de Mayo (“Flowers of May”) is a traditional celebration for Filipinos in the month of May. A Filipino in Macau who hails from Cebu recalls: “Decades ago, when I was still a boy, I remember that during this month dedicated to Our Lady by the Catholic Church, many kids in our village would gather at around 5:00 PM in our village church and say the Holy Rosary. Then after praying, we would fall in line and start singing her a song and wait for our turn to offer a flower to Our Lady: flowers which we picked from our garden or in a neighbor’s garden.”
With the nostalgia of the Flores de Mayo, the English-speaking community of the Cathedral ended the month of Mary last Sunday, May 30, with a flower offering.
The celebration started with a community rosary before the Mass and concluded with the singing of Marian songs and flower offering to Mary. Those who were not able to bring flowers offered their letter to Mary, containing their petitions or thanksgiving and placed them at the feet of Our Lady of Fatima’s image at the church altar.
Faithful from other countries joined the flower offering. An Indian church goer said: “It seems we will be doing this every year already. My wife was even excited when it was announced in the church the Sunday before that there will be a flower offering to Mary. It brings us joy, thinking of the suffering in our country (India) and praying with all our hearts to Mary to help us.” He added: “Just like Filipinos, we love the Blessed Mother so much, and always pray to her.”
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