THE Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council adopted a resolution to commemorate the life and legacy of the late Bishop Emeritus Tomas A. Camacho.
The resolution was introduced by the municipal council chairman, Luis John Castro, on Friday during the council’s meeting at the Saipan Leadership Memorial Courtyard in Chalan Kanoa.
Castro said they hope that “many will be inspired to follow in the example of citizenship and faith that the late bishop displayed in his life of priestly and Episcopal service to the people of the island.”
Camacho, the first bishop of the Chalan Kanoa Diocese, passed away on March 5, 2018 after a lingering illness. He was 84. His funeral is set for today, Tuesday.
As bishop, Camacho “channeled his skills into establishing a productive diocese and pushed in the promotion of native languages in prayer by translating and publishing existing translations of prayers in Chamorro which included the Chamorro sacramentary book, the Chamorro lectionary, the translation of books of the Bible in Chamorro, and a weekly publishing of his sermons in the diocese’s newspaper, the North Star.”
Bishop Camacho also “oversaw the creation of new parishes in Kagman and Koberville; dedicated places of worship in the Northern Islands; opened Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja in Rota and St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Tinian; ordained nine new priests for the diocese; established charitable programs such as the Karidat Social Services; witnessed the continuance and establishment of new ministries in the church such as the Cursillos in Christianity, the Confraternity of Christian Mothers, El Shaddai, the Knights of Columbus, the Worldwide Marriage Encounter and the Neocatechumenal Way among others; and wrote many articles and letters addressing critical issues in the church and the community.”
On Aug. 14, 2016, in one of his final acts of service to the diocese, Bishop Emeritus Tomas Camacho helped in consecrating the new bishop, Ryan Jimenez who was ordained a priest by Camacho.
“He [Bishop Camacho] watched with pride as a priest he ordained filled the seat he occupied for over a quarter-century in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral,” the resolution stated.
Castro said they will present the original resolution to Bishop Ryan Jimenez and Bishop Camacho’s surviving siblings.
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