Today is the Day of Valor

Today is a national holiday in the Philippines.  We commemorate the fallen heroes of World War 2.  The day is called Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor.  You can read more about the background of the holiday by clicking here.

If you also would like to read about the Bataan Death March, click here.

Here is a rare photograph for you.

Here is the newspaper caption of the photo:

MASS FOR HEROES: Bishop James J. Sweeney, center, presided over a solemn high mass in tribute to Bataan heroes, sponsored this morning by the Hawaii Fillipino Victory Fund committee at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. Among the clergy assisting were, left to right, the Rev. Fathers Victorinus Claesen, Hubert Winthagen, Ildephonse Heibgesand Robert Schoofs.

The photo is courtesy of the Hawai'i War Records Depository Photographs.  For more photos of the war, click here.


I guess the color of the vestments were black since it is a High Mass for the Dead with a prelate in attendance.  Nice cappa magna too.  Servers in lace, wow.


And here's a rare one for you.  The Crescat found this too.  But I found it here in this site.

Low Mass in Bataan during the war.

You can read more about the surrender of Bataan by clicking here.

Thank you to our war veterans who fought for our freedom!

May God grant rest to our dead freedom fighters.

"Hail the victorious dead!" - King Theoden