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children1stCommunionPreWAR

Young CHamoru children attend their Primera Kumuñon or First Holy Communion in pre-World War II Guam.

Young CHamoru children attend their Primera Kumuñon or First Holy Communion in pre-World War II Guam.

Primera Kumuñon (First Holy Communion) and Komfetmasion (Confirmation) are church rites that have become CHamoru traditions among Catholics. The celebrative nature of these occasions is not as elaborate as the baotismo. The first formal activity commences with the kumuñon (Holy Communion) and followed with the komfitmasion.

The baptismal godparents are the principal witnesses in the Holy Communion ceremony; however, only one godparent with the same sex as the child is selected for the komfetmasion. Customarily, the parents select the Confirmation godparent, usually an associate at work or friend. However, in some families, the child gets to select his or her godparent. Both occasions begin with a Mass and are followed by a small breakfast or dinner consisting mainly of the nuclear family and the godparents. The Amotsan Kumiñion (Communion breakfast) is served either at home or restaurant depending on the finances of the parents. Chenchule’ in the form of money or gifts is given to the child.

A small dinner party after the church ceremony for Confirmation may be held at the parents home or at a restaurant depending on the parents’ finances. Chenchule’ is also given at Confirmation – money, or the Confirmation apparel.

In her first solo show, Julia Birn presents Chewing on Static. She regards this body of work as an exploration of what it means to live in a life that no longer feels entirely familiar. Ms. Birn uses her work as a way to consider what happens when something changes the way one moves through the world, the relationship with oneself, and understanding of the future, as a result of chronic illness. Her paintings emerge from this unresolved experience, giving shape to the feeling of living with something that cannot always be explained or communicated. Through abstraction, fragmentation, and restricted palettes, the works hold onto that tension, allowing forms to shift and remain ambiguous. What emerges is a reflection of what it is like to live with a reality that has become difficult to recognise. The title of the exhibit, Chewing on Static speaks to the mental noise that comes from searching for clarity, questioning one's own experience, and trying to communicate something that refuses to become simple or certain. It is about what happens when one is forced to construct a new understanding of oneself and continue living within something that is unchosen. Through her work, Birn asks the viewer to enter a space where certainty is difficult to find, and to sit with what cannot be resolved. Julia Birn is an accomplished artist, graphic designer, and entrepreneur, who has participated in multiple large and small group shows in Guam since 2022. She has recently earned her BFA in graphic design from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Summa Cum Laude. Follow her on Instagram @deafeningsilenceco or contact via email at deafeningsilenceco@gmail.com

Chewing on Static

Chewing on Static https://www.guammuseumfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Chewing-on-Static-INSTAGRAM_4K_H265.mov The next exhibit opening October 24, 2026 at the Guam Museum Cafe Gallery. In her first solo show, Julia Birn presents

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