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All roads led to cemeteries in annual tradition
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- Family members, friends, and parishioners sit at the graves of their loved ones during the All Saints’ Day Mass at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery last Saturday. (Thomas Manglona II)
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- Family members, friends, and parishioners sit at the graves of their loved ones during the All Saints’ Day Mass at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery last Saturday. (Thomas Manglona II)
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- Family members, friends, and parishioners sit at the graves of their loved ones during the All Saints’ Day Mass at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery last Saturday. (Thomas Manglona II)
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- A little boy holds on to his father’s hand during the All Saints’ Day Eucharistic celebration last Saturday at the Chalan Kanoa Cemetery. (Thomas Manglona)
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- Church altar servers pose for a photo before assisting in the All Saints’ Day Mass in Chalan Kanoa. (Thomas Manglona II)
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- Deacon James Balajadia and Fr. Isaac Ayuyu lead the procession during the church service last weekend. (Thomas Manglona II)
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- Family members stand at the graves of their loved ones during the All Saints’ Day service at the Chalan Kanoa Cemetery. (Thomas Manglona II)
Fr. Ryan Jimenez, Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, said that more island parishioners attended the All Saints’ Day Eucharistic celebration on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014.
“I think that goes to show the link between All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day,” he told Saipan Tribune. “All of us are called to be saints. I think is it appropriate to celebrate how our loved ones try to emulate the good Lord’s example in their lifetime.”
“The saints are sinners like us but their story did not end there, they changed their lifestyle and pursued a life after God,” Jimenez added.
Deacon James Balajadia led the community in the reading of the Gospel and sermon.
“The saints never gave up on their faithfulness and commitment to the Lord,” he told parishioners in his remarks. “While on earth they all sought to fulfill God’s beautiful vision for their lives.”
“The vision we must all seek like the saints,” he said, “is to be meek and humble of heart, to be peacemakers, to hunger and thirst for righteousness and justice, to show mercy and be clean of heart.”
“This is real holiness. It is never giving up in our commitment to God and this interior project that He has for each one of us in our hearts,” he added.
Volunteer and member of the church’s cemetery committee Doris Nuique expressed her gratitude to the JROTC cadets of Kagman High School and Saipan Southern High School, as well as the staff of the Saipan Mayor’s Office for assisting in the cleanup efforts.
“For me it is a good celebration. They all came in and helped and it is a great service to the Catholic community,” she said. “What better way to show your love than with the Eucharistic celebration?”
