Transcript Document

Cultural Ritual
Experience &
Presentation
St. Therese Parish
Hispanic ~ Day of the Dead
Observed October 31, 2012
By a friend of St Therese.
The celebration began at 6:30 pm in the evening starting with a Parish service
and then the congregation moved into the Activity Center. There were multiple
tables filling the room, set in rows facing the stage for the video that is shown
about the Day of the Dead, the movie was filmed in Mexico.
I arrived at St. Therese planning to meet my friend and her husband, Maria and
Robb, joining us is a co-worker. Maria is the Parish Business Manager and she
was dressed in her Day of the Dead costume. We thought it would be a fun
experience to see what happens as the congregation celebrates the Day of
the Dead and understand more fully about the reasoning behind the festivities.
,
The holiday focuses on the gathering of families and friends to pray and remember those who
have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday.” (1) In Mexico the
celebration typically coincides with the Catholics holiday of All Saints’ Day on November 1st, the
deceased children are honored and on the 2nd deceased adults are honored. At St. Therese
they celebrated this Holiday on October 31, 2012 through November 4, 2012. (2)
A traditional aspect of the holiday is to build a private altar/small shrine or visit the
grave to honor those loved ones that have passed away to visit with their souls. The
items on the altar or grave could include favorite things or possessions of the
departed. They may also be items such as pictures of the deceased, a Christian
cross, statues or pictures of the Blessed Mary, memorabilia, toys, trinkets, food, drink,
sugar or chocolate skulls, many candles, short poems and flowers/orange Mexican
marigolds. At St. Therese they are placed in a colorful and festive arrangement. (3)
St. Therese had altars that were lovingly decorated by parishioners of the
congregation with all of the items listed above that pertained to their deceased on
the sanctuary tables and expanding onto the floor. I was warmly welcomed and I
enjoyed the fun festivities of the night.
“Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous cultural
observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to
the goddess Mictecacihuatl…celebrating the deaths of ancestors had been
observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 3000 years. Skulls were
commonly kept as trophies and displayed during rituals to symbolize death and
rebirth.” (4)
World
View
“Catrinas is one of the most popular figures of the Day of the
Dead celebrations in Mexico also known as Lady of the
Dead.” (3) With the common symbol of the holiday
celebration being a skull. Jeremy, son of Carlos Herrera, St.
Therese Hispanic Priest, is dressed for the festivities.
“Traditionally, the family spends time together with the intent to encourage visits by
the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the moments of the living directed to
them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events
and anecdotes about the departed.” (2) As seen in the picture on the left, St. Therese
is warm and welcoming.
St. Therese had four altars in the building, two in the sanctuary and two in the Activity
Center. Each decorated differently; two had primarily food displayed on each. At St.
Theresa, symbolically the celebrators ate the food on the altar in front of the stage
after the festivities were over. The food that was prepared for the Activity Center was
to be eaten after the ceremony, it was handmade bread and a variety of food.
The stance of St. Therese is one of continuing with the Day of the Dead celebration
but really focusing on the fact that our friends and loved ones are in God’s care and
that He is and will take care of those individuals.

When I walked into St. Therese it was a
hustle and bustle of activity, both
parents and children alike. All
generations were in attendance to
celebrate the Day of the Dead
together located in the Activity
Center. It was not only a children’s
program, but a family program. I was
listening to the introduction for the
evening by MPhil Carlos Herrera ~
Hispanic Minister, to the congregation
at St. Therese. I felt a deep sense of
pride for the custom to be kept alive,
that it was a personal celebration and
custom that was signifying how special
they were as an ethnic group away
from their ancestral home. I had
questions about the events of the night
and Carlos Herrera filled in the blanks
for me as I wanted to be very clear
about the event.
Thank you for a Fun evening!

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I felt honored with the opportunity
to attend this special time at St
Therese. Carlos had mentioned that
the Day of the Dead event is in
relation to the saints honored in the
Catholic religion. He said that their
belief is a direct correlation to the
fact that their aim is to be with God
eternally. Even though loved ones
have passed away they believe
they are with God. Christian
traditions are able to relate with
loved ones not disappearing but
alive with God, eternally. Carlos
said that it is customary for several
families’ that attend St Therese to
also have their own Day of the
Dead celebration, carrying on their
family custom.
(5)
Sources:
(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
(2) Palfrey, Dale Hoyt (1995). "The Day of the Dead". Día de los Muertos Index. Access
Mexico Connect. http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/muertos.html. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
(3) Salvador, R. J. (2003). John D. Morgan and Pittu Laungani. ed. Death and Bereavement
Around the World: Death and Bereavement in the Americas. Death, Value and Meaning
Series, Vol. II hi. Amityville, New York: Baywood Publishing Company. pp. 75–76 Day Of The
Dead? For Some People It Is Sad And For Other It Is A Holiday.
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/muertos.html. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
(4) Miller, Carlos (2005). "History: Indigenous people wouldn't let 'Day of the Dead' die". Day
of the Dead — Día De Los Muertos (The Arizona Republic).
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/history/. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
(5) St. Therese Bulletin, 213 E. Wisconsin Ave. Appleton, WI 54915 from October 28, 2012