“Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death but once.” - William Shakespeare.
THERE is a twin chapel in the Cathedral of the Resurrection called the mortuary chapels of the risen lord.
I remember that my dad during their Brotherhood of Saint Andrews days have started the mortuary in response to a need.
This need is created in search of a place to hold a wake for the relatives who died in Baguio, Manila, or elsewhere who have to be brought home to places in the Cordilleras especially to Mountain Provinces.
Twinned with this need is the ministry of the church to the suffering and mourning, where the Church offers prayers, comfort and care for those who were left behind and rest for the soul of the faithful departed.
Before the Twin Chapels was St. Gregory Mortuary which was leveled to the ground during the killer earthquake of 1990. Then the Twin Chapels were built, standing after twenty five years of service.
I have attended so many wakes of relatives, friends and even persons unknown to me in those twin chapels. It continues to serve a great purpose and mission.
The chapels are open to all and must be requested for use by direct relatives of the deceased by filling up a form at the church office and paying the corresponding fee.
Certain rules govern the use like:
a) bodies be inside a coffin when brought in the chapels.
b) No smoking, no gambling, no drinking of liquor, no bonfires, no momma, no damaging of property during the wake.
c) Conduct for neurological and liturgical service should be coordinated with the church.
d) Altars and other fixtures in the chapel shall not be removed or moved and the altar should not be blocked or covered with drapes.
e) Peace and order be maintained and no promotions or advertisements posters be allowed.
f) Preaching or sharing during the wakes should not include criticisms of church denominations, church or any person.
g) No butchering of any kind of animals within the premises and until recently included.
h) The heating and cooking of food without the use of kerosene, electric stove or rice cooker.
The last condition has been removed recently – disallowing of heating and cooking of food.
This has created some reactions mostly criticism by those who are using the twin chapels and even those joining the wakes because of cold food served.
So we go back to the reason why we have the twin chapels. Some could not comprehend why they are banned from heating food to be served during wakes.
Igorot traditions during times of death vary from tribe to tribe in their rituals, belief and practices.
More tribes like the Bontoks, I-Sagada and I-Besao have specific rituals if the one who died is a baby, an elderly, an adult. Similarly, different rituals are practiced and some restrictions for person who died by accident, murder or suicide.
For some like the death of an elderly, death is a feast where numerous animals are butchered.
Similarly, for the banking ken optical (rich and famous) like the late Governor Rocky Molina’s, late Jack Duncan, the feast of daily pigs, cows, curacao, and horse meat was evident. However, some Christian families ignore these rituals practiced by the community and simply have church services without the rituals of butchering animals.
Because of these traditions, wakes are also times for the bereaved to feed the people who come during the wake.
Some relatives and friends of the dead person even stay for longer times, not going home and patiently staying close by. These are some reasons why food, coffee, water and candies are served during the wakes.
I remember during the wake of my father, some of those who came to sing and conduct service were not offered food by those who were in charge of the kitchen, that I have to call Jack’s Restaurant to deliver more food.
Food equates gatherings and gatherings is eating time in the Philippines and other cultures, inseparable and sometimes annoying to some, but is a reality and of better sense.
Death of a loved one brings people together from coming near and far, a time for seeking comfort and peace laced with food.