By Rose Gamier for the North Star
The island may have been put under Tropical Storm Watch last weekend but that did not deter San Roque Parish from celebrating the annual feast of their beloved patron saint.
PRE-FIESTA CELEBRATION
Activities kicked off the occasion with the 8th Day Novena to San Roque on August 18, 2018, Saturday, at 5:30 am, followed by healing mass at 6:00 am, in honor of Saint Ezekiel Moreno, patron of cancer patients, whose actual feast falls on August 19. The mass was presided by Fr. Allan, the local prior from the Order of Augustinian Recollects in Saipan. Concelebrating are his fellow OAR priests, Fr. Felipe and Fr. Leo Neil.
A medical mission was in full swing from 8:00am – 11:30 am, courtesy of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Commonwealth Health Care Center (CHCC). It was led by Dr. HY and coordinated by Ms. Myrna Boyer. Volunteer nurses and staff at CHCC came to offer Blood Pressure Check, Blood Sugar Check, Anemia Screening, Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening, Early Childhood Developmental Screening and Medicaid Application Assistance. They also handed out brochures, leaflets and other information materials. Many parishioners and visitors took the opportunity and availed of the various services being offered. It was a well-organized mobile medical outreach that was conducted to help people by providing free medical check-ups and screening.
At 4:00 pm, the church grounds was filled dog lovers and owners, along with their pet dogs, who came for the Mini Dog Fair. This event, sponsored by the San Roque Parish Youth Ministry is the first of its kind in the parish which celebrates man’s best friend and remembers them as a faithful companion to San Roque, also known as patron saint of dogs. Fr. Allan Cabatian gave a talk about Pope Francis’ Encyclical on Laudato Si – Caring for God’s Creation and blessed all the dogs, while Mr. Spencer Marchadesch from the Mayor’s Office Dog Control Program shared information about Dog Ownership in Saipan. Edwin a volunteer from the Saipan Cares for Animals talked about Proper Dog Care. He, along with fellow volunteers, also brought some dogs ready for adoption. About 23 dogs of different breeds and sizes came and showed off their charm and character, and by the end, ten dogs were awarded certificates for: Best in Twinning, Most Behaved, Best Dressed, Best Hair, Best Groomed, Most Trained, Most Photogenic, Most Playful, Loudest Bark and Most Likely to Make it in Hollywood. The parish hopes to make it a yearly event and also plans to organize San Roque Dog Lovers Community, a group which hopes to bring together and create a network of dog lovers on the island.
FIESTA CELEBRATION
The parish fiesta last August 19, 2018, Sunday was greeted by the pouring rain but the spirit of devotees, parishioners and guests was not dampened as they flocked to the parish at 3:30 pm for the 9th Day of Novena, followed by the Eucharistic Celebration at 4:00 pm. Bishop Ryan P. Jimenez, was the main celebrant and homilist with Fr. Jason Balajadia of San Jude Parish and Fr. Anthony Aguason of San Antonio Parish, together with the three OAR priests as concelebrants. Bishop Ryan commended the spirit of oneness and element of sharing he witnessed from the parishioners and prayed that everyone may truly live a meaningful life by embracing a life of service and being wonderful servants of San Roque. The mass was followed with imposition of oils on the forehead and distribution of oils inside the church. Five beautifully-made arches or “atkus” decorated the village but unfortunately, the lukao had to be cancelled due to the rain and wet road condition. This year though, the parish offered to recognize the efforts of the families who created the atkus for the fiesta, and a cash prize was given to the “Best Atkus,” which went to the Family of Derwin Johnson. Dinner and entertainment capped off the celebration with many parishioners and guests dancing the rainy night away…
All in all, it was a successful weekend for the whole parish, with many people admiring the church improvements and the well-organized execution of the fiesta celebration despite the inclement weather. Fr. Allan Rubett Cabatian, OAR, together with Mr. Ben Agulto, President of the San Roque Parish Pastoral Council, would like to express their deepest gratitude to everyone who assisted, contributed, helped and served in the two-day celebration. May the Lord through the intercession of San Roque reward your kindness and generosity.
BIBA SAN ROQUE!
