秋季大祭の二日目、9月21日には「祖霊祭」が執り行われます。
この祭典は、境内に祀られる祖霊社にて営まれ、戦没者や神社に功労のあった方々の御霊をお慰めし、感謝を捧げる大切な神事です。
祖霊社での祈り
子安神社の祖霊社は、地域と神社を支えてきた方々の御霊を祀るお社です。
祖霊祭では、戦争で命を落とされた方々、そして神社の護持や発展に尽力した先人への慰霊と感謝の祈りが捧げられます。
これは単なる供養にとどまらず、地域の歴史を引き継ぎ、先人の思いを未来へとつなぐ意味を持っています。
厳粛な雰囲気
祖霊祭は例祭や泣き相撲のように多くの参拝者が集まる行事ではありません。
氏子や特別崇敬会の方々が中心となり、静かで厳かな雰囲気の中で進められます。
しかし、その祈りは子安神社に集うすべての人々に広がり、地域の平安と繁栄を支える大切な柱となっています。
祖霊祭の意義
祖霊祭は、秋季大祭において「過去を尊び、未来へ祈る」役割を担う祭典です。
戦没者、そして神社に尽くした先人たちの御霊に感謝を捧げることは、子安神社の信仰と地域の絆をより深めるものとなっています。
Koyasu Shrine Autumn Grand Festival, Part 3
The Memorial Service for Ancestral Spirits
On the second day of the Autumn Grand Festival, September 21, Koyasu Shrine holds the Memorial Service for Ancestral Spirits, known as the Soreisai.
This solemn ritual takes place at the Soreisha, a subsidiary shrine within the grounds, and is dedicated to honoring the spirits of those who died in war as well as those who contributed greatly to the shrine.
Prayers at the Soreisha
The Soreisha enshrines the spirits of the people who have supported the community and the shrine throughout history.
During the ceremony, prayers of remembrance and gratitude are offered for the war dead and for those who safeguarded and nurtured the shrine’s legacy.
This is more than an act of memorial; it is a way of carrying forward the history of the community and passing the spirit of the forebears into the future.
A Solemn Atmosphere
Unlike the Annual Festival or the lively Nakisumo event, the Memorial Service is not crowded.
It is attended mainly by parishioners and members of the Special Support Association, and is conducted in a quiet, reverent setting.
Yet the prayers offered here extend beyond the ceremony itself, embracing all who visit Koyasu Shrine and supporting the peace and prosperity of the community.
Significance of the Memorial Service
Within the Autumn Grand Festival, the Memorial Service for Ancestral Spirits plays the role of “honoring the past while praying for the future.”
By offering gratitude to the spirits of the war dead and the benefactors of the shrine, the faith of Koyasu Shrine is renewed and the bonds of the community are deepened.