COMMUNITY members on Monday brought flowers and candles to the graveyard of their deceased loved ones as part of the annual observance of All Saints Day.
At 5 p.m., Father Rey Rosal celebrated Mass at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery.
CNMI Youth Congress coordinator and former Rep. Luis John Castro said the observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day on Nov. 1-2 each year is important “because honoring our origins is ingrained in all of us.”
“Our elders believed that even though physical presence is gone, the spirits of our departed stay with us,” he added.
“No matter how much time passes, our loved ones will remain close to us in our minds and in our prayers,” he said.
He noted that the pandemic has disrupted many public events, but observing All Saints Day “is a tradition that has withstood typhoons and other calamities. All we have to do is make sure we follow the three Ws — Wear a mask, Wash your hands, Watch your distance — and do what we can to stay safe during this day and the days to come.”
In a statement, the CNMI Youth Congress said that on All Saints Day and All Souls Day “we remember and pray for all our loved ones who have gone before us…. We pray for their souls to…rest…in peace and we pray that one day we will all have a Communion with the Saints.”
They added, “For our local culture, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are an important part of our tradition: we light candles at the church, attend the cemetery mass, and make sure that the burial sites of all our loved ones are clean.”
“Despite all the typhoons that we’ve experienced and the Covid-19 pandemic, our local people still stand strong and resilient to honor our loved ones who are now gone. Deskånsa gi pås yan asta ki manali’e hit ta’lu.”
The members of the 18th Youth Congress members are Cielo Citlalli G. Long, Liekeila’akata Iakopo, YuriHana Sasamoto, Abriette Manglona and Easton Joel Dela Cruz.
Flowers and candles can be seen near the graves at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery on Monday, All Saints Day.
Saipan residents visit the gravesites of their loved ones at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery on Monday, All Saints Day.
Mass is celebrated at Chalan Kanoa cemetery on All Saints Day, Nov. 1.
