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

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during any significant dates of the
departed.
At Calvary Cemetery on a recent
weekday morning, several groups of
A grave decorated for fall at Calvary Cemetery.
PILAR MARRERO
families sat around cleaning the tombstone
of their family member, placing
flowers or simply chatting among
themselves.
Several tombs were adorned with balloons,
flowers, and plastic decorations
to celebrate a birthday, or the arrival of
fall, even a giant teddy bear to remember
someone who passed young.
Families will start building altars and
adorning their family plots in ways that
aren’t common during regular times
of the year, said Brian McMahon, director
of outreach for the archdiocese’s
Catholic Cemeteries department.
“I love to see the families planning
their altars,” said McMahon.
“It’s nice to have a celebration where
people can express themselves in ways
that are special. From our first celebration,
the reaction has been extremely
positive.”
McMahon enjoys seeing visitors
place pictures of their loved ones on
the community altar throughout the
day and driving families in a golf cart
to their cars when the day ends.
“That way I can hear them say how
much they enjoyed it,” he added. “It’s
something I love personally.”
A few days before the main event,
about 200 third- and fourth-graders
from local Catholic schools are
invited to the cemetery grounds for
a catechetical day and to build their
own altar.
“We talk to them about it from the
Catholic context and the cultural one,
but their presence in the mausoleum
chapel lets them know it’s cool to be
in the cemetery; it’s not a ghoulish
place but a solemn one,” said McMahon.
“It’s very important to have students
involved, to learn the true meaning
of the tradition,” said archdiocesan
Chief Communications Officer
Carolina Guevara, who spearheaded
the creation of the celebration several
years ago. “It is really a celebration of
life.”
Pilar Marrero is a journalist who for
25 years has extensively covered the
areas of city government, immigration,
and state and national politics.
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14 • ANGELUS • October 25, 2019
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