When we’re talking about a holy place, we often remember the church. Aside from it being us, the people of God, it is also a sacred and quiet place where we are mostly conversing with God. But in our daily lives, we usually forget the existence of cemeteries as being also a holy place.
We, Filipinos, habitually visit our departed loved ones every Undas season. We usually gather our family and stay in the graveyards of our dearest family members. Some bring their own tents and foods. We sometimes prepare food that are being set aside for the purpose of remembering and sharing our food to the one who passed. For the most important part, we offer prayers to their souls and commemorate the memories with them.
Amidst all of these decorum and respect, it shall not be neglected that the local cemeteries should be treated like churches too. The catholic church emphasizes the importance of cemeteries as a sacred place. When a new cemetery is built, a priest will walk around the entire area and pour holy water while also uttering the prayers.
It is a fact that aside from graveyards being the final resting place of the dead, it is also the visible place of connection between the living and the dead. We, the living people in the land of the Earth, have to continue praying for both the living and the dead, which is part of the Catholics’ Spiritual Works of Mercy (The Catholic Telegraph, 2021).
