Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we observe All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2, many of us will visit cemeteries to pray for and remember our departed loved ones.
As we bring flowers, light candles, and offer prayers, let us remember one important thing: the cemetery is sacred ground. It is not simply a place we visit once a year. It is a place of prayer and remembrance, where our loved ones rest as we await the resurrection.
For this reason, I appeal to everyone: Let us keep our cemeteries peaceful and prayerful. Let us avoid unnecessary noise, loud music, shouting, and boisterous laughter. Families will naturally gather and share stories, but let us always be mindful that beside us may be someone quietly praying, grieving, or simply spending a few precious moments with a loved one who has gone before them. Our joy should never disturb another person’s prayer.
Let us also keep our cemeteries clean and care for our common home.
If possible, please bring your own tumbler or water container. Use reusable bags and avoid single-use plastics as much as you can.
Please do not leave your garbage behind. Bring it home whenever possible, or dispose of it properly in designated bins. And please do not burn garbage. Burning waste pollutes the air and is harmful to people and to our environment.
These are simple acts, but when thousands of us do them together, they can make a great difference.
As Christians, caring for creation is also part of our faith. And perhaps one beautiful way of honoring those who have gone before us is to care for the place where they rest.
So when we leave the cemetery, may we leave nothing behind except our prayers, gratitude, and love.
Let us honor our departed loved ones.
Let us respect sacred ground.
Let us respect those who come to pray.
And together, let us care for our common home.
May God bless you and your families.
+Alberto S. Uy
Archbishop of Cebu