Prayer Warriors for Holy Souls and the March of Saints

The Catalunan Grande San Isidro Parish Church celebrated its ‘Parade of Saints’ to culminate the October Rosary month. This is one parade where all members of the family can join, from the baby grandchild to the oldest grandpa/grandma. Nine GKKs from five zones came all dressed up as their GKK’s Patron Saints, as the parishioners’ popular choice, or as their personal favorite saint.

The 25-year old Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls (PWHS), an apostolate of the Monfort foundation, has, for several years promoted the March of Saints. PWHS believed that this Christ-centered alternative will reclaim the sacredness of our Christian traditions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 957) writes that “…we love the martyrs as the Lord’s disciples and imitators… because of their matchless devotion towards their King and Master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples!”

There was a growing concern among Christians that the current and popular celebration of All Souls Day projected evil as acceptable. One cannot, and should not imagine, one’s dear departed to appear with lighted demon horns, or as a witch, or be a swaying skeleton, or have their coffins/tombstones strewn on the front gardens. One may argue, surely not our beloved dead! The soul of whose dead then? Our Lord Jesus, even with His mangled body in death, was never frightful.

PWHS learned that halloween was a practice of the pagan Celtics and other ancient tribes. The Celtics divided the day into dark half and light half, and believed that in the transition, the dead made a cross-over back into the land of the living. Since then, halloween has ballooned into the present multi-million business of frightful ghouls, ghosts, vampires, black cats, eerie jack-o-lanterns, cobwebs, and frightening sounds. Media rides on this scaring frenzy with print and TV fare of diabolical crimes and occultism. It is no wonder that people, young and old, are afraid of the dark and what lurks within. This just-for-fun practice, in reality, robs our soul of peace.

To counter this pagan practices, Pope Boniface IV in 609 AD established October 31 as the Feast of all the Saints. Later in 835 AD, Pope Gregory IV decreed that All Saints Day be celebrated on November 1, a day ahead of All Souls Day every November 2.

Three years ago, the PWHS officers suggested to their Spiritual Director Fr. Joel Caasi the idea of a March of Saints in his San Isidro Parish. It was an answer to the stirrings in the heart of Fr. Joel. Involving the whole family in one event was his dream.

Let us together pray that more Davao parish churches adapt this yearly March of Saints. And pray too that parents, grandparents and other kin stop blindly following fads just to be in. For change of values to happen, we all need to start with self.

The PWHS-Davao, on its 5th year now, continues to invite Davaoeños to be part of this change, and become prayer warriors for the living and the dead. PWHSians meet every 2nd Monday of the month at the San Pedro Cathedral Social Hall, and every 1st Saturday noon mass at the Sta. Ana Shrine Church. We would love to have you join this apostolate.

All the San Isidro Parish Saints-to-be capped their parade with a living rosary. As each candle was lit, those assigned prayed the Credo, one Our Father, one Hail Mary each for three people, and the subsequent decades of the living Rosary. The holy Rosary came to life with each recitation, and when all the lighted candles were raised, Mother Mary must have smiled on the congregation.

Through the March of Saints, let us look forward to our children learning and emulating their Saint, and the adults retelling how their favourite Saint/s interceded for them when they were needed most. In truth, we are never alone. Our Angel and Saint, with Mama Mary, stand with us 24/7! To GOD be all glory! (Bella A. Sarenas, PWHS PRO)