Babáng Luksâ at St. Mary The Virgin South Hill

By E. Maestro

Vancouver, April 26, 2026 – At St. Mary the Virgin South Hill Church, Bishop Alex Wandag (ret.) conducted the commemorative mass to mark the first anniversary of the Lapu-Lapu Festival Tragedy in Vancouver.

The Babáng Luksâis a Filipino tradition that marks the end of a period of mourning, usually one year after the death of a loved one. It is typically observed with a mass, prayers, lighting of candles, and a gathering of family and friends to remember and honour those who have passed. The Babáng Luksâ was a joint service of St. Mary the Virgin Church, its Migrant Ministry with Migrante BC, Bayan BC, and Migrante Canada.

The morning memorial service was attended by the parish congregation and joined by members and friends of Migrante BC, Bayan BC, PANCIT Art Collective, Pinoy Pride Vancouver Society, Sulong UBC, Anakbayan BC, Gabriela, Tama Na Alliance, Filipino BC Therapists Association, NPC3, Malaya Canada, and St. Mary’s Catholic Migrant Ministry.  Among the guests were MLA Mable Elmore, Lina Vargas, Armor Valor Corrales and William Azaroff, both from One City.

MLA Mable Elmore gave her heartfelt thanks to Bishop Wandag for his sermon and for the service at St. Mary the Virgin — “it was very touching and healing, thank you for memorializing the lives of the eleven victims that were lost, and offering your thoughts and prayers for those who were injured and impacted by that terrible day … we recognize your leadership, your thought and your prayers to bring support to the community… to the families and victims  as we move forward as a community to heal.”

The memorial prayers led by Bishop Wandag, the lighting of the candles and offering of flowers at the front altar concluded the service. Veronica Caparas read out the names and the ages of the eleven who died and Noa Sison of Bayan BC read the reflection that touched on healing: “Healing is not only personal, it is communal. It requires truth, accountability and care. Today, we name the importance of mental health – that the sadness, trauma and grief are real and asking for help and support is not weakness, but strength. May we build a community where healing is possible for all, a community where no one is left behind.”

The statement of Migrante BC on the anniversary of the tragedy read: “One year after the tragedy, the sad truth remains – justice remains elusive, accountability is still a public demand, and support and assistance for the survivors are sadly inadequate or not there. There are people who have been injured from the April 26th tragedy and have only come out recently to say their stories. How many more are out there is a question that needs to be asked because no one should suffer alone, no one should be left behind.”

Migrante BC reiterated its call for Justice for all victims of the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival tragedy, for full accountability from institutions that failed our community, and immediate, comprehensive, and long-term support for all victims and their families.  

Throughout the service, the names of the eleven were read and remembered: Maria Victoria Bjarnson, Jennifer Darbellay, Richard Le, Linh Hoang, Katie Le, Nerissa Pagkanlungan, Kira Salim, Glitza Daniela Samper, Glitza Maria Caicedo, Daniel Samper, and Jendhel May Sico.

St Mary the Virgin South Hill Church is located at 808 E 50^th Avenue in Vancouver.