Publisher's Note

Publisher’s Note
Belated Happy Labor Day to all. Colors are changing around us, a sign that summer is over and fall is here to stay for a while. My 13 year old daughter and my 5 year old son are very much excited that school will soon start. We have to make sure that our children are safe [...]
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Page added on November 19, 2010

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TO OUR DEARLY BELOVED ….

by: Estrella”Tata” Delos Reyes

On November 1, 2010, when our “kababayans” back in the Philippines were busy celebrating All Saints Day , the 6^th annual Rosary Prayer Service and Mass Offering officiated by Reverend Fr. Rudy Badiola, was also being held at the Chapel of the Mountain View Funeral Home. The chapel was filled and the service was attended by some Filipino-Calgarians whose loved ones were perhaps, laid to rest at the same Cemetery.

On my way to the event, I drove around the “Himlayang Pilipino” area and said a little prayer to my late Mother-In-Law who left us about 4 years ago. Then to my sister-in-law as well. It was quite a peaceful scene as one can only see the flickers of electronic candles and spots of solar powered light system. Extremely different from how the Filipinos back home celebrate All Souls Day where you find people gathering around their dearly departed and celebrate the life that was for their loved ones. The serenity brought my pedals to the chapel and as I enter in the middle of the aisle, I saw people with heads bowed in deep prayer. Some may have been attending for the last years or so, some may be first timers. And I am one of the latter for sure. So I thought, well, this is good. Even just once a year, we should really commit to an hour or two to dedicate it to our late family and friends. It sure is lonely to be dead in Canada because over the winter months, the ground up them is filled with snow and temperatures fall below zero, thus, coldness everywhere. They definitely need the warmth touch of knowing someone out there is praying for their peace and heating up their memory lane.

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The ceremony that has been on for 6 years was mastered that night by Ms. Evelyn Serrano and her friends who supported her were around to help her pull together another successful event. It sure hopes to attract more and more following each year. I applaud the dedication Mr. Carlos O. Perez of Mountain View Memorial Gardens has. It is nice to know someone is out there to serve his Community by ensuring there is a “Pinoy” to help us in planning our future with our Supreme Creator, when our very own time comes.

Overall, the celebration of life and death that night was a true reminder for us all. The songs of life will forever ring in our ears as we cross check our life on earth. And to quote Mother Teresa (as it was on their Programme), she said…..“In this life, we cannot do great things…. We can only do small things, with great love”.