In the first week one is invited to pray on sin in the world and in one's personal life. I often came throughout the retreat to pray at the graveside of Richie Fernando, S.J. , a Jesuit scholastic who was killed in Cambodia protecting his class from a disturbed student wielding a hand grenade. I also met Richie's mother here, a very warm and engaging person. His family had come this day to honor his memory for All Saints and Souls day, an important event in the Philippines. On October 31 it is the custom in the Philippines to honor the dead by setting out candles and flowers in the cemeteries.
Some families spend the entire night at the graveside eating and talking.
Huge bats would fly into the chapel, snap up the mosquitos and then leave out one of the side doors. I sat in the back with a group of Columban seminarians from Fiji. On the last week I donated the flower to the Novices for a shrine they set up to honor St. Stanislaus Kostka, S.J., the patron saint of novices. One trick was to jog early as people lock up their dogs at night. The yellow line indicates my route.