CAINTA RESUMES SEMANA SANTA ACTIVITIES FOR 2023
April 13, 2023
For Cainteños, the Semana Santa – Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, is the most sacred week, an important time of the year to showcase the town’s rich religious and cultural heritage. Preparations for the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s passion, death and resurrection begins at the start of the year and culminates into the Semana Santa or the Holy week.
For 2023, Cainta’s Semana Santa began with Palm Sunday with a procession and blessing of the palms – Hosana, Prusisyon at Pagbasbas ng mga Palaspas, at the central religious institution, the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Light. In the evening, the Samahang Krus sa Nayon started its week-long theatrical presentation with The Ten Commandments and Jesus of Nazareth at the Tanghalang Cainta.
On Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday, the Samahang Nazareno likewise began its theatrical presentation of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, at OneArena. Several pabasas were also being held in various venues around Cainta.
For Holy Wednesday, a procession was held to commemorate the passion of Jesus Christ, and the holy images of St. Peter, the Ecce Homo, Jesus Christ carrying the Cross, St. Veronica and the Birhen Dolorosa leading the way. Holy Thursday was dedicated mainly for the Visita Iglesia, a religious tradition where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and the churches hold service for the Seven Last Words.
Good Friday highlighted the Semana Santa with the Parada ng Panata, a grand parade of all Senakulo groups, depicting the entire Stations of the Cross. The Parada traverses the entire A. Bonifacio Street via Sitio Victoria and ending at the Liwasang Bayan. The groups then break and go into their various sites for more theatrical performances of the Stations of the Cross. On Good Friday evening, a somber procession was held, as Jesus Christ has died, with the images of Santa Maria Salome, Birheng Nagdadalamhati and the Santo Entierro leading the way.
On Easter Sunday, the Prusisyon ng Salumbong was held, with the images of Blessed Virgin Mary, Sta. Maria Magdalena meeting up with the resurrected Jesus Christ. To celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Pagtatanghal ng Kapitana was held, with three young Cainta lasses performing to welcome the joyous occasion. By evening of Easter Sunday, the theatrical presentations of Samahang Nazareno and Samahang Krus sa Nayon wrap up their performances, and thus the closing of Semana Santa in Cainta.
