HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Archdiocese of Agana opened the doors to the Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral-Basilica Friday morning after the passage of Typhoon Mawar.
Monsignor James Benavente announced Guam’s main Catholic church would be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, according to a release issued by archdiocese spokesperson Tony Diaz.
Benavente, the pastor of Hagåtña, stated members of the public are welcome to come at their leisure. He said there will be a noon Mass celebrated at the Chapel of St. Therese.
“We invite the faithful to offer their prayers of thanksgiving, through the intercession of Santa Marian Kamalen, that no lives were lost during the powerful typhoon,” Benavente stated in the release.
“We give thanks to Almighty God, for placing his hands upon our island, the (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), and having guided us through Typhoon Mawar,” he added.
The archdiocese, like the majority of the island, closed its doors after the island was placed in Condition of Readiness 1 in response to the approaching Typhoon Mawar, a Category 4 storm.
Through most of Wednesday and Thursday, the island was urged to stay indoors while Mawar passed over the island. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero placed Guam back into COR 4 on Thursday afternoon.
Catholic schools
Diaz also announced that Catholic schools, after the lifting of COR 1, will “assess the condition of their respective sites and will advise their school of when classes can resume.”
“Parents and guardians are asked to monitor their school’s information system and island media for updates about their child’s/children’s schools,” Diaz added.
“We invite the faithful to offer their prayers of thanksgiving, through the intercession of Santa Marian Kamalen, that no lives were lost during the powerful typhoon,” Benavente stated in the release.
The Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña is shown April 18, 2023.
