Three September baptisms and a wedding at Maruranau

                                      The newly-married couple, Mr and Mrs Shu-Shu, with flower girls on

                                      their wedding day at Maruranau Village. (Photo Medino Abraham).

In the interior and especially in the Rupununi, the Catholic communities normally celebrate baptisms and weddings around Easter and Christmas. However, this year, this tradition changed a little for Maruranau village in the South Rupununi when a wedding and three baptisms were celebrated on September 10th in this Wapichan community, There is only one priest available to serve the people of the South Rupununi (Fr. Paulouse Valakada SJ), so the faithful and church team of Maruranau, along with Fr. Paulouse, made a plan that during this September there will be baptisms and holy matrimony conducted during Mass in the village. The Catholic community therefore celebrated two holy sacraments: three baptisms and one marriage on Tuesday September 10th, at 9.00am. Because of the two sacred sacraments happening during Mass, the church was packed to capacity with villagers and visitors.

September is Indigenous Heritage Month - a time to showcase the rich culture and traditions of Guyana’s first people. As a way to observe Heritage Month, before the Mass began there was the ritual of face painting using Annatto Dye on worshipers as they entered the church building to celebrate the sacred and joyful occasion. Most of the Mass - such as songs, readings and prayers - was celebrated in the local language, Wapichan. Additionally, the church was beautifully decorated with indigenous art and craft, including small baskets and other handicrafts made by the people that boosted the spirit and environment of the Catholic/ Wapichan Mass celebration.

A beautiful Wapichan song was played on a speaker for the Bride and Groom as Fr. Paulouse called them forward to get married, and also when he blessed and declared them husband and wife. The homily had a good message to the faithful which highlighted the importance of baptism in the Catholic faith, and welcoming of the new members to the church. An inspiring message was given on the sacred covenant of marriage based on the love between husband and wife being centered on God.

The aspects of indigenous culture and language were emphasized by the priest, to maintain and preserve them, because they are important for identity and contribute to making them indigenous Catholics. At the Mass, there was an interesting aspect of the solemn occasion, which was centered on the young couple Mr. and Mrs Shu-Shu. It was their beautiful traditional wedding outfit that stood out from the regular wedding celebrations around the Rupununi. Their wedding outfits were made locally from colourful bird feathers and beautiful beads and cotton.

After the mass I congratulated the newly-weds and had a little chat with the happy bride about her wedding outfit. She narrated to me the following: “I made my wedding outfit myself. It was made out of cotton and beads. All the local materials I gathered from the environment since I know how to make cultural outfits and hammocks from cotton and also from beads etc. While my husband´s headdress was made from bird feathers, he didn´t kill any birds to get them. He gathered them in the bush when they fell from the macaws and parrots on the ground. We began a long time to prepare our clothing for the marriage and I am happy we got married using local materials”.  

In a conversation with the bridegroom about his wedding outfit, he said that “we opted to get married with indigenous wear. I found it appropriate to get married in our traditional wear because firstly, it’s during September our Indigenous Heritage Month. A time to tie the knot and be blessed by God as Indigenous Catholics.

Secondly, we saw that economically, making our marriage outfit is far cheaper than buying expensive clothing from the stores that make us feel very sweaty in this hot weather. I hope I am not sounding like we want to promote Indigenous weddings in September or to make it a show. No, it’s nothing like that. We are serious about our married life as Indigenous Catholics. Especially having it centered on the plan of God with a view to live a good Christian life as husband and wife, in a world where we are seeing that the sacred covenant is being taken for granted by many”.

Congrats to the young married couple and may God richly bless their married life.