Walking among the dead

Walking among the dead It’s public information that there used to be an old cemetery at the back of the Carcar church. That must have been of the same age as the present church building, or even older. But that’s all been consigned to memory.

Let’s move centuries forward. For decades, Carcar folks have called the two catholic cemeteries of their town simply as the old and the new. From the burial dates on the markers, we are inclined to believe that the old dated sometime in the early 1900s, and the new maybe after WWII.

Today, visitors to the two are welcomed by circular archway entrances that resemble interior illuminated box signages with the names, St. Lazarus cemetery (the old) and St. Martha cemetery (the new). However, the arches look too much like that on the Lipata (Minglanilla) churchground entrance for one not to think the Carcar arches are imitations of Lipata.

Just asking, was there a solemn dedication to the christening, or as soon as the arches were lighted, that was that – the old became St. Lazarus and the new, St. Martha?

St. Lazarus was the only person in the bible that Christ raised from the dead. As such, one would think he had no further use for cemeteries. (Except that Lazarus is a Latinized version of Eleazar, the name of Jun Tupas and his father and Jun’s son). And St. Martha — although venerated for her maturity, strength, common sense, and concern for others, St. Martha had nothing to do with cemeteries or death, except as one of two sisters of Lazarus.

Were there other names to choose from, so who decided on the two names and which should go where? Remember my status some days ago about heritage?