At the Chalan Kanoa cemetery yesterday, brothers Vince and Tony Mareham were seen cleaning the area surrounding the tombstone of their grandmother.
“This is our annual commitment to come here a week before [All Saints Day] to clean the area and repaint the tombstone,” Vince Mareham said.
Under the scorching sun, Tony Mareham repainted the gravestone and its inscription. “I am thankful that the weather is cooperating with us,” he said.
Vince Rabauliman said he was avoiding the crowd and traffic-jam who will be coming to the cemetery a day before Nov. 1.
“We do the preparation earlier so we can have enough time,” he told Variety.
At the Tanapag public cemetery, Jerry Kapileo repainted the inscription of the tombstone of his great grandmother, Consolacion Sablan Quitugua, who was buried there in 1967.
Every year, Kapileo said he repaints the tombstones and the inscriptions of his 16 departed family members.
His relatives help clean the area and the graves.
On Nov. 1 and 2, Mt. Carmel Cathedral will celebrate Mass at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery and in the church.
On Saturday, the Mass in Chamorro will start at 6 a.m. in the cathedral while rosary will be prayed at 12 noon at the cemetery.
On the same day, at 4 p.m. at the cemetery, there will be another rosary that will be followed by an evening prayer for the dead and a Mass.
On Nov. 2, the rosary in Chamorro will be prayed in the cathedral at 5:30 a.m. followed by the 6 a.m. Mass.
The Mass in English starts at 9 a.m. while the Mass in Filipino is scheduled for 11 a.m.
The prayer in Chamorro at the cemetery will start at 4 p.m. to be followed by a Mass at 4:40 p.m. A 6 p.m. Mass in English will be celebrated in the cathedra.
The Kristo Rai, San Jose, San Antonio, San Jude and San Vicente churches will celebrate separate Masses in the morning of Nov. 1 and 2.
