Guam - It's the last day of 2010 and the last Friday of the year, which means we wrap up Kostumbren Gi Pasgua - Chamorro Traditions at Christmas. The Belen has been here for hundreds of years, and it first started with St. Francis of Assisi, and with the Christmas season becoming a little bit more commercial these days, Santa Teresita Catholic Church Faith Formation and youth director Kevin Delgado feels it is important to share the message of the manger.
"We feel, the Catholic Church feels, that it's important to retain the purpose of Christmas, which is Jesus," he explained. "And in order to do that we find that something more visible, more visual like the Belen would be educational and traditional for people that come our way."
Every year, Santa Teresita parishoners come out and volunteer a few hours of their time to construct the Belen, which is showcased at the front of the church's altar. Said Delgado, "We normally start about the 17th of December and ends about Christmas Eve to Christmas midnight. But prior to the actual Belen being made, we have weeks of preparation prior to that, seeking donations of live plants. At Santa Teresita we like to use in fresh lumot, or moss from the jungles, in years past we used to actually go around and pick lumot up in the north, but we found a way to keep it natural but at the same time helping some people. They actually come in and wish to sell lumot to us.
In addition to the greenery, Delgado notes that this year the wooden manger was actually constructed by the security guards who watch over the church grounds when mass is being held.
The Mangilao church is also known for it's youth involvement and Delgado, who has been the youth director for the past 15 years says the youth have always been interested to learn more and come out and help.
"The beautiful thing is that every Christmas people feel a sense of spirit, feel a sense of coming home to help out at the church, so there's never been a problem every year."
In fact, he says that even taking down the Belen, is a parish effort to help prepare for the following Christmas season as the lumot is used for other plants and flowers that are tended to throughout the year. "There still a sense that after the Belen and after the Nino is finished, or the novena is finished there is still that sense of community by putting it all away and taking ownership until the following year," he said.
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