‘Unspeakable tragedy': Grief and solidarity at Vancouver festival memorial mass
VANCOUVER - Rev. Francis Galvan was supposed to attend the Lapu Lapu Day festival last Saturday, but he was grieving the death of Pope Francis and wasn't in the mood for celebrating.
Galvan, the pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta, B.C., said that that evening he received a text — 'something terrible had happened' at the Filipino cultural festival.
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Winnipeg Free Press
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Chinese ship runs aground off Philippines-occupied island in the disputed South China Sea
PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines (AP) — A Chinese ship ran aground in stormy weather in shallow waters off a Philippines-occupied island in the disputed South China Sea, prompting Filipino forces to go on alert, Philippine military officials said Sunday. When Filipino forces assessed that the Chinese fishing vessel appeared to have run aground in the shallows east of Thitu Island on Saturday because of bad weather, Philippine military and coast guard personnel deployed to provide help but later saw that the ship had been extricated, regional navy spokesperson Ellaine Rose Collado said. No other details were immediately available, including if there were injuries among the crewmembers or if the ship was damaged, Collado said. Confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy ships in the disputed waters in recent years. 'The alertness of our troops is always there,' Col. Xerxes Trinidad of the Armed Forces of the Philippines told reporters. But when they saw that a probable accident had happened, 'we tried to provide assistance as professionals' in accordance with international law on helping distressed vessels at sea. 'We're always following international law,' Trinidad said. Filipino villagers living in a fishing village on Thitu, which they call Pagasa island, immediately informed the Philippine military and coast guard after seeing the Chinese ship lying in the shallows about 1.5 nautical miles (2.7 kilometers) from their village, said MP Albayda, a local Filipino official, told The Associated Press. 'They got worried because the Chinese were so close but it was really the strong wind and waves that caused the ship to run aground,' said Albayda, adding that other Chinese ships pulled the stricken vessel away. The stricken ship resembled what the Philippine military had repeatedly said were suspected Chinese militia ships, which had backed the Chinese coast guard and navy in blocking and harassing Philippine coast guard and military vessels in the disputed waters, a busy conduit for global trade and commerce. Thitu Island is home to a Philippine fishing village and Filipino forces and is the largest of nine islands and islets occupied by the Philippines. It lies about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Subi Reef, which China transformed into an island base along with six other barren reefs to reinforce its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in the long-simmering territorial standoffs, an Asian flashpoint that many fear could pit China and the United States in a major conflict. The U.S. does not lay any claim to the South China Sea but has repeatedly warned that it's obligated to defend the Philippines, it's longtime treaty ally, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
The Province
4 days ago
- The Province
Community comes together to honour Lapu Lapu Day victims at 40-day memorial mass
In Filipino Catholic tradition, the 40th day is a sacred time of prayer and remembrance. 'Here I can express my emotions and I'm not alone,' said one memorial attendee Attendees gather for the 40-Day Memorial Mass to honour and pray for those who lost their lives after the tragic events following the Lapu Lapu Day Festival. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG The number 40 makes frequent appearances in the Bible. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 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. '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. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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.' Fr. Salvador Reyes Jr. speaks at the 40-day memorial mass to honour and pray for those who lost their lives after the tragic events following the Lapu Lapu Day Festival. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Attendees gather for the 40-Day Memorial Mass on to honour and pray for those who lost their lives after the tragic events following the Lapu Lapu Day Festival. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG 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.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. Fr. Salvador Reyes Jr. leads attendees at the 40-day memorial mass to honour and pray for those who lost their lives after the tragic events following the Lapu Lapu Day Festival. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG After the service, Reyes led a precession the four blocks to 43rd Avenue, where the tragedy took place. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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@ A memorial that has popped up on the fence bordering John Oliver Secondary Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Memorial Mass in Vancouver, BC. June 5, 2025. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Memorial Mass in Vancouver, BC. June 5, 2025. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Read More
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Marking 40 days since Lapu Lapu tragedy
Vancouver Watch It has been 40 days since the vehicle attack that killed 11 people at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver.
