People, Events, Places (PEP)

  by Susan Palmes-Dennis ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina—After being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual ‘Simbang Gabi’ or ‘Night Mass’ will be held anew at the St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Dec. 17 at 7 pm, Friday.  Lota Mascarenas, a parishioner of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, said their ‘Simbang Gabi’ is now on its 11th year after it was started by the church’s Filipino parishioners. This year’s Simbang Gabi is sponsored by the Couples for Christ and North Rosary Group, Mascarenas said.  Father Matthew Codd, pastor of the St. Thomas Aquinas Church, is the celebrant of the Mass. Members of the St. Thomas Aquinas Filipino community will serve as choir.  The Hymn Halina Jesus, a common Tagalog church song, will be sung at the processional to start the Holy Eucharist.  The song ‘Unang Alay’ will be sung as the gifts are prepared as is the song 'Ang Kr isto Ay Gunitain' during the acclamation. The first 2009 'Simbang Gabi' at St. Thomas Aquinas Church The Filipino s

Maria Lynn donating her hair to her cancer-stricken friend Eva Berdon Rhyne by Susan Palmes-Dennis Rockingham, North Carolina—Maria Lynn is unable to celebrate her birthday on Dec. 20.  Instead Maria’s family and friends will bid her a final farewell as she will be laid to rest on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at the South Chapel of the Greene Funeral Service whose address is 1503 S York RD, Gastonia, NC 28052.  When I saw a Facebook post detailing Maria Lynn’s untimely demise due to a heart attack, I was stunned like her friends at how her death came so suddenly. My mind went back to the days when I met Maria Lynn, specifically on the 2017 Spring Picnic organized by the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc.  Since there was already a program for that event that was held during my incumbency as FACC president, I had to decide favorably on Maria Lynn’s request to allow her to shave her long hair  in front of all attendees. She did this in support of her friend Eva Berdon Rhyne who was