Rain didn’t hinder mounting of cross

A rainbow appears after volunteers successfully mount the 28-foot tall cross at the peak of Mt. Tapochao and last Friday. (Kimberly A. Bautista)

Hard rain did not stop devotees from mounting the 28-foot tall cross at the peak of Mt. Tapochao last Friday.

All the participants of the Mt. Tapochao trek and those who witnessed the mounting of the cross that took place at the mountain’s peak last Good Friday experienced a sudden downpour of heavy and hard rain. The rain came out of nowhere but it cleared just as fast as it came.

Although there was rain, devotees continued their work to ensure that the cross was mounted safely and properly.

The 28-foot tall cross was made new again this year. The family of Tom Palacios makes the cross annually. According to Palacios, he benefits nothing from his volunteer work. He is a firm believer of Christ and his death on the cross, but that is not his purpose in annually sculpting a new cross for the past 36 years. To Palacios, he prays that the cross he built opens the heart of another in receiving Christ in their lives.

Hundreds participated in the trek. Some participated to gain the experience, some participated out of religion, and some just came for exercise and healthy living.

Dianne Sabino, a devotee, made her way up the mountain alongside her daughter Friday morning. When asked why, Sabino simply explained that it was for God. She believes that this is one of the ways to truly show that the death of Christ will always be remembered as an act of love and not just suffering.

A bicycle group that calls itself Saipan Cyclers was also present at the trek. The group has been participating in the trek since 2011, according to their representative Arvin Bacani. He said the trek is their way of enjoying a healthy living on Good Friday.

The trek had many organizations there too that offered refreshments like water, fruits, and light food like bread and congee.

Organizations that offered refreshments during the trek were the United Filipino Organization, the Lady Diann Foundation, American Red Cross-NMI Chapter, and more. They were set up, some even as early as Thursday, along the road ready to offer what they could to all participants of the trek.

This year’s trek was significant for the Lady Diann Foundation. The foundation was not conjoined with the Office of the Governor at this year’s trek. According to First Lady Diann Torres, this year’s trek is the second year that her foundation volunteered, but this year is the year that her foundation had set up their own stop.

Government offices such as the Governor’s Office and the Saipan Mayor’s Office were also there to distribute refreshments.

Besides refreshments, the mayor’s office also helped pave the road up Mt. Tapochao a few weeks prior to the trek for the safety of all devotees and participants.

Department of Public Safety had officers present last Friday for safety measures with an ambulance ready at the base of the mountain.

Father James Balajadia from the St. Jude Parish on Saipan explains that the significance of this tradition is for Catholic worshippers to mirror the sacrifices that God experienced on the path to calvary as he carried the cross he was crucified on.

Balajadia also mentions in an interview that the trek and carrying of the cross represents the cross that is carried by every individual through every day suffering. Good Friday is the day that all those sufferings can be united in Christ. According to Balajadia, in the Catholic faith, the cross symbolizes humility, how to love and serve one another, and how to be humble and have courage.