Sask. vigils show support and mourn victims of Vancouver Filipino festival tragedy
A large group gathered on the steps of the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Regina to mourn Saturday's tragedy in Vancouver and show support for those affected.
On Saturday evening, a driver crashed a vehicle into a crowd at Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu Filipino Festival, killing 11 people and injuring many others.
A 30-year-old Vancouver man has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder.
Local Filipino associations organized candlelight vigils in Regina and Saskatoon on Wednesday night.
Alvin Pulga emceed the Regina vigil and said the community is still in shock.
"Seeing the terror and, and sadness that they're going through, it made this event and this ceremony just more important," Pulga said.
A tragedy like this puts everything else into perspective, he said.
"The things that we think are so serious in our day-to-day lives, it kind of just muted that until tonight, because this just felt more important."
The horrific event hit close to home, as some of the victims have relatives and friends in Saskatchewan.
"We weren't surprised that some of the victims' families were here in Regina," Pulga said. "That was really one of the reasons why we did this, to reach families and and people that were affected by this."
Pepito Escanlar, the Philippine honorary consul for Saskatchewan, said Filipinos are connected across the country.
"As a Filipino community we feel like we're part of that whole," Escanlar said. "When one party is hurt, we all feel it."
Escanlar was grateful to see communities across the country show their support.
"[They] came and grieved with us and joined us in dealing with the sorrow and the grief of this event," he said. "We encourage our Filipino community to be strong and carry on with our celebration, and just be vigilant and make sure that this thing doesn't happen again."
Pulga said it wasn't just the Filipino community that was grieving, it was the whole country.
The vigil reminded Pulga of what is important and what we should be grateful for.
"When we discovered this tragedy, [my mom] messaged us and she told us, hug your children, don't make mountains of molehills and love each other," he said.
"That's what we want people to understand about this event. Just love each other."
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Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Community comes together to honour Lapu Lapu Day victims at 40-day memorial mass
The number 40 makes frequent appearances in the Bible. It rained on Noah's Ark for 40 days and nights; Israelis wandered the wilderness for 40 years, eating manna; Moses spent 40 days on a mountain with God and descended with the 10 Commandments, Jesus was tempted by the Devil for 40 days. And for devout Filipinos, it's custom and tradition that when somebody dies, they pray for them for 40 days. On Thursday evening, a couple hundred people attended a 40-day memorial mass to honour and pray for the 11 people who lost their lives at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'In Filipino Catholic tradition, it's believed by many people that for 40 days the souls of our loved ones still walk the Earth, they still remain really close to us,' Crystal Laderas said outside St. Andrew's Parish in east Vancouver, before the mass began. 'So on the 40th day, (the souls) transition to the afterlife and they find peace. 'For a lot of people, this is not about moving on, but parting with love.' It helps people transition to the next phase, she said. 'The mourning will continue, and past the 40 days there will be other events that are needed for collective healing.' The tragedy, which also injured dozens more people, occurred as Lapu Lapu Day was winding down and families were heading back to their homes. The driver of a black SVU sped past food trucks on East 43rd street, which had been blocked off for pedestrians-only around 8:15 p.m., plowing into the crowded street and sending bodies flying. 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Galvan was in attendance at Thursday's mass in support of St. Andrew's pastor Fr. Salvador Reyes Jr., who began the service with the hymn Christ Be Our Light: 'Shine in our hearts, shine through the darkness.' That was followed with a passage from Isiah that, Reyes said, emphasizes God's mercy and compassion, even toward sinners : 'I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry.' Eight volunteers with the Provincial Psychosocial Services were on hand to help anyone needing assistance coping with the trauma, with their pamphlets on a table inside the church near doors with posters reading Hope Lives Here. After the service, Reyes led a precession the four blocks to 43rd Avenue, where the tragedy took place. They were accompanied by a police escort, six officers in three police cars, which cordoned off the street for the vigil. White-robed children followed close behind, then the congregation, and 11 candles were lit — one for each fatality — at the memorials that have popped up on the fence bordering John Oliver Secondary. On the fence was another sign: 'This is too much to hold, so we hold it together.' Mirikit Santos, who was not at the festival and did not know anyone who was hurt, said she was there because she couldn't bear the burden of her emotions by herself. 'Here I can express my emotions and I'm not alone,' she said. gordmcintyre@
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Community comes together to heal at 40-day memorial mass for Lapu Lapu Day victims
The number 40 makes frequent appearances in the Bible. It rained on Noah's Ark for 40 days and nights; Israelis wandered the wilderness for 40 years, eating manna; Moses spent 40 days on a mountain with God and descended with the 10 Commandments, Jesus was tempted by the Devil for 40 days. And for devout Filipinos, it's custom and tradition that when somebody dies, they pray for them for 40 days. On Thursday evening, a couple hundred people attended a 40-day memorial mass to honour and pray for the 11 people who lost their lives at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'In Filipino Catholic tradition, it's believed by many people that for 40 days the souls of our loved ones still walk the Earth, they still remain really close to us,' Crystal Laderas said outside St. Andrew's Parish in east Vancouver, before the mass began. 'So on the 40th day, (the souls) transition to the afterlife and they find peace. 'For a lot of people, this is not about moving on, but parting with love.' It helps people transition to the next phase, she said. 'The mourning will continue, and past the 40 days there will be other events that are needed for collective healing.' The tragedy, which also injured dozens more people, occurred as Lapu Lapu Day was winding down and families were heading back to their homes. The driver of a black SVU sped past food trucks on East 43rd street, which had been blocked off for pedestrians-only around 8:15 p.m., plowing into the crowded street and sending bodies flying. Kai-ji Adam Lo, 30, who was under the care of a mental health team and on leave from hospital, faces eight counts of second-degree murder. He appeared briefly by video in Vancouver provincial court on Friday, May 30, for his second court appearance. He has been sent for a psychiatric assessment, and is scheduled to return to court next week to set a date for his next appearance, which will be for legal arguments on whether he's mentally fit to stand trial. Forty is also the number of days Jesus stayed on Earth after his resurrection before ascending to heaven. 'In an event like this,' said Fr. Francis Galvan , pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta, speaking outside the church before the service, 'as violent, as tragic and as painful as it is, we believers continue to remember (the victims). 'We remember the pain, because all of us are affected by it. But when we remember, we no longer remember just human beings. 'We remember God and how God enters into this, because 40 days is a time of change and transformation.' The tragedy of Lapu Lapu Day was noted around the world. Among those who reached out with condolences and sympathy were King Charles, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron. Galvan, the seventh of 10 children born to farmer parents in a remote village in the Philippines, said he was supposed to be at the festival, but the death of Pope Francis required his attention elsewhere. 'Sometimes we get broken, we don't know the reason, but something happened in our lives and so for us, we're not just praying for those who have died, we also pray for the one who caused this pain,' Galvan said. 'He's a human being also like us. 'We pray for him as well, because there are things that we do not understand as human beings … this is very important because when we pray, we raise our minds and hearts.' Galvan was in attendance at Thursday's mass in support of St. Andrew's pastor Fr. Salvador Reyes Jr., who began the service with the hymn Christ Be Our Light: 'Shine in our hearts, shine through the darkness.' That was followed with a passage from Isiah that, Reyes said, emphasizes God's mercy and compassion, even toward sinners : 'I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry.' Eight volunteers with the Provincial Psychosocial Services were on hand to help anyone needing assistance coping with the trauma, with their pamphlets on a table inside the church near doors with posters reading Hope Lives Here. After the service, Reyes led a precession the four blocks to 43rd Avenue, where the tragedy took place. They were accompanied by a police escort, six officers in three police cars, which cordoned off the street for the vigil. 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Global News
4 days ago
- Global News
Memorial mass in Vancouver to mark 40 days since Lapu Lapu Day attack
Members of Vancouver's Filipino community and others will honour and pray for victims of the Lapu Lapu festival attack at a memorial mass today, 40 days after the tragedy that left 11 people dead. The date is significant in Filipino Catholic tradition as the end of a mourning period, and Rev. Francis Galvan says he expects the mass at St. Andrew's Parish church in East Vancouver at 6 p.m. to be crowded. Galvan, who is of Filipino heritage and is the pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta, B.C., says it's important for the healing process to be shared. 1:54 Filipino community concerned with Vancouver's event for Lapu Lapu victims He also says it's important to show solidarity with victims' families by hearing their stories and mourning together. Story continues below advertisement Vancouver police say seven people injured in the attack remain in hospital as of Tuesday afternoon, with six in stable condition and one in serious condition. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In a statement issued Thursday morning, advocacy group Filipino BC says the 40th day 'holds deep spiritual meaning.' 'It is believed that the soul remains close to us during these 40 days, before finding peace and fully departing from the physical world.' The statement lists names and ages of all 11 people who died in the attack, who ranged in age from five to 60. 'This is not closure,' Filipino BC said of the 40th day. 'Healing does not follow a schedule. But today offers a moment to pause. To gather. To feel. And to remind ourselves that healing, while difficult, is possible when we do it together.' 2:22 Brief court appearance for Lapu Lapu Day suspect RJ Aquino, who chairs Filipino BC, said the aftermath of the April 26 attack had cast a shadow over Filipino Heritage Month, which is marked every June. Story continues below advertisement He said some people were still having a difficult time crossing the street or even leaving their homes after the attack, but being with other members of the community is a way to encourage collective healing. The City of Vancouver has separately announced plans for a large-scale memorial event later this month to honour the victims. The 'Come Together: Vancouver Strong,' benefit concert will be held at Rogers Arena, although the exact date has not been set. Attack suspect Adam Kai-Ji Lo faces eight counts of second-degree murder, and Vancouver police have said more charges are expected. He is due back in court on Friday, as preparations to determine if he's fit to stand trial continue.
