The Chamorros of Southern California, for many years now, have taken the lead in keeping a tradition alive.
This tradition, of building temporary altars for the feast of Corpus Christi, is still observed by Catholics in many places, but it has also fallen into disuse in many other places in the last fifty years.
In the Marianas, these temporary altars are called lånchon Kotpus, and there are usually three of them in each village or parish.
Twenty years ago, a Chamorro woman, Rosario Meno Reyes (Mama Ling), put up her own lånchon Kotpus in her own home. She was friends with a priest at Mission San Luís Rey in Oceanside, California, a certain Father Vince. He heard about it, and he asked Mama Ling to build the låncho at the Old Mission the following year.
Then, other Chamorros joined in and they did it by villages. The Corpus Christi procession to all these låncho built by Chamorros is now a huge event. Some people travel from beyond California to help build their låncho and also to attend the procession.
Mama Ling
(passed away in 2001)
Mama Ling always reserved a spot for her own personal låncho, which was as far from the mission church as possible, so that there definitely would be a procession of the Blessed Sacrament from the church to her låncho.
Oceanside Corpus Christi Organization
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Yigo
Saint Jude Parish, Sinajaña
Saint Joseph Parish, Inarajan
Niño Perdido Parish, Asan
Mount Carmel Cathedral, Chalan Kanoa, Saipan
San Juan Bautista Parish, Ordot
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