WHEN November comes, our hearts turn once again to one of the most joyful and meaningful traditions in our faith community — the Parade of Saints. This beautiful celebration ushers in the sacred days of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2.
While Halloween often captivates the world with costumes and thrills, the Dumaguete Cathedral Parish’s annual Parade of Saints—launched on November 1, 2019—offers a luminous counterpoint. Now in its sixth year, this tradition redirects our focus from fear to faith, darkness to light, and the allure of monsters to the inspiration of saints.
A celebration of light
Halloween often glorifies what is dark and frightening. In contrast, the Parade of Saints reminds us that the story of humanity is not one of evil or despair, but of the light of Christ that conquers darkness.
As our children march dressed as beloved saints, they become living icons of hope — tiny but powerful witnesses that holiness is not a myth, but a joyful reality. They show us that sanctity isn’t about perfection; it’s about love.
Honoring real heroes of faith
The saints we honor are not imaginary characters from fairytales — they are real men and women, young and old, who loved God in extraordinary ways.
When a child dresses as St. Francis of Assisi, he learns simplicity. When a youth chooses St. Pedro Calungsod, he learns courage. When a little girl dons the habit of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, she discovers the beauty of love in small things.
Each costume becomes more than attire; it becomes a lesson in virtue — a story of faith made visible.
Teaching values, not vanity
In a world obsessed with looks and popularity, the Parade of Saints teaches something far more lasting: virtue over vanity. Every halo, robe, or rosary tells a story of someone who chose God above all else. This parade, then, is not merely a show — it is a living catechism in motion.
Building community and joy
There’s something profoundly unifying about seeing families, parish groups, and children’s ministries come together for this event. Laughter, music, and joy fill the air, but at its heart beats a shared faith — one that binds us together in celebration of holiness.
The Parade of Saints reminds us that holiness is not a solitary climb but a journey we take as a community, hand in hand, heart in heart.
The Feast of All Saints
As we celebrated, we are invited to rediscover the true meaning of All Saints’ Day — a feast of hope, holiness, and heaven. When we watched our young “saints” marched before us, we are reminded that sainthood is not reserved for a chosen few. It is our shared calling, our baptismal mission.
Let this joyful parade awaken in us a renewed desire to follow Christ more closely, to live with purpose, and to strive for holiness in the ordinary moments of life.
Because in the end, the Parade of Saints is more than a festivity — it is a living proclamation of faith. It tells the world: We are not made for fear. We are made for light.
