Angelus News | October 25, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 36

A feast for the departed
How a Mexican cultural tradition has become a way to bring
Angelenos closer to God
BY PILAR MARRERO / ANGELUS
PILAR MARRERO
For the second year in a row,
28-year-old Jeannette Vasquez,
her siblings, mother, and other
family members will come together at
Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard to
create a traditional Day of the Dead
altar in honor of her father, Rafael,
who died Oct. 2, 2015.
On the altar,
along with
pictures of
their loved
one, they will
place the traditional
sugar
skulls, several
pieces of
special sweet
bread or “pan
de muerto”
(“bread of
the dead”),
bottles of
the Mexican
soda he loved
and the exact
brand of hot
chiles he preferred
to eat.
A few weeks
ago, they had
a Mass in his
honor to mark
the anniversary
of his passing.
For this Southern California family
of Mexican origin, the point of the
Day of the Dead (more commonly
known as “Día de los Muertos” in
Spanish) celebration is to honor the
memory of their loved one. But now
that they’ve immersed themselves in
the altar-making as well as joined other
families doing the same at Calvary
Cemetery in East LA, they feel they
are also celebrating his life.
“We knew of this tradition, but we
had never physically created an altar
for anyone,” Vasquez said. “We did it
last year and loved the event so much
we decided to do it again. It is true
that there is sadness in this remembrance,
but this allows us to also feel
the happiness.”
ingrained in Mexican culture, and to
a lesser extent, in those of other Latin
American countries.
According to Ernesto Vega, who oversees
Adult Faith Formation in Spanish
for the archdiocese, the version of the
Day of the Dead celebrated in Southern
California and all over Mexico
has its roots
in pre-Hispanic
cultural
traditions
blended with
the traditional
Catholic festivities
of All
Saints’ Day
(Nov. 1) and
All Souls’ Day
(Nov. 2).
“For the
Anahuac
(pre-Hispanic)
cultures,
the indigenous
had a
concept of life
after death in
Accompanied by her children, a woman visits the grave at Calvary Cemetery of the great-aunt who raised her.
Like the Vasquez family, thousands
of others are expected to participate
in the Day of the Dead celebrations
in two Catholic cemeteries in the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles: Oct. 26
at Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard,
and Nov. 2 at Calvary Cemetery in
East LA.
It’s only the sixth year that “Día de
los Muertos”-themed events are taking
place in LA’s Catholic cemeteries.
But they draw from traditions deeply
which fulfillment
depends
on the virtues
you have
practiced
during your
physical life. The level or degree of
light you will have in the afterlife
would be according to the goodness
and the integrity that you practiced,”
explained Vega.
“That concept is not different from
the Catholic-Christian belief that
a person will manifest their faith
through good deeds and virtues that
will be practiced in the image of Jesus
Christ. These will represent the fullness
of life once resurrected.”
PILAR MARRERO
October 25, 2019 • ANGELUS • 11