In the city of El Castillo, as in other communities in the department of Río San Juan, several families commemorate All Souls’ Day.
Priest Cristóbal Gástica, parish priest of the Immaculate Conception of Mary parish in the city of El Castillo, indicated that this commemoration begins with the feast of all saints followed by the celebration of the faithful departed.
“The tradition on this date is to go to the cemetery, be with the mourners, spend some time, and remember them in happy memory. As a church we celebrate mass where families place their intentions for their faithful deceased, wreaths are prepared, (…) the important thing is not how much the wreath cost, the most important thing is the prayer,” said Gástica.
He added that Saint Augustine said that tears end, promises are not fulfilled and flowers are carried away by the wind and that only prayer reaches God, “that is what is important,” he emphasized.
Gatica also explained that the Church grants this day to dedicate to prayer. “I invite you to always have that devotion of praying for the deceased, of praying for these brothers who need us. We are the same Church in different realities and that is what keeps us united, we are united to Christ from baptism until reaching the ultimate goal, which is to be in the hands of God and contemplate his face,” he explained.
On this date, the buying and selling of floral arrangements is a tradition in El Castillo, artisans offer wreaths that range between 240 and 260 córdobas; Larger arrangements reach 600 córdobas. Other families, however, prepare the arrangements themselves with natural flowers.
2023-11-03 01:03:03
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