When Felixberto Camacho Flores was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1949, he was only the fourth CHamoru ever. For the next two decades he served in many roles within the local Catholic church including as the priest of Asan, the editor for the religious newspaper “Umatuna Si Yuus” and the superintendent of Guam’s Catholic schools.  

In 1970 he was installed as the Bishop in Guam, the first CHamoru to achieve this position. This image is of the newly consecrated Bishop visiting the graves of his parents Leon Flores and Ana Camacho Flores at Pigo Ceremony. According to a news account from the time, he offered this silent prayer to them:

“Dear mother and beloved father, I beg you to forgive me for all my shortcomings and imperfections. You have always lived in me, and as you have brought forth an Apostle of Christ this day, this humble son and Apostle before you now – a mortal with feet of clay, blesses your grave, your memory, and your soul with compassion – that today you shall both live forever.”

In 1984, Flores would become the first ever CHamoru Archbishop, and would pass away the following year at the age of 64.