Día de los Muertos Celebrations return to SoCal Catholic Cemeteries

Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will host Día de los Muertos celebrations at Calvary Cemetery & Mortuary in East Los Angeles, Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard and San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills. Día de los Muertos, or the celebration of All Souls Day, is a vibrant faith-based tradition, when the life of the deceased is honored and celebrated through prayer, songs and ofrendas (altars). The community events presented by Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries provide an opportunity for families to celebrate a tradition that unites their faith and cultural heritage.

“The festivities bring together a unique combination of cultural traditions, art, and prayer, creating a space for reflection, connection, and healing – holding an immense significance in our community, both culturally and spiritually,” said Brian McMahon, Director of Community Outreach for Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. “By commemorating Día de Los Muertos, we aim to promote unity and understanding among different communities while raising awareness of this day’s beauty and significance. We are proud to be working in collaboration with local artists, community organizations, and local church and community leaders to make these celebrations truly meaningful and inclusive.”

All three community events include an All Souls Day Mass, traditional crafts and face painting, and folkloric and Aztec dancers. The community events are free and open to the public featuring traditional massive sawdust and sand carpets (known as tapetes), art exhibitions organized by sacred artist Lalo Garcia, dozens of altar dedicated to faithful departed, activities for children, including arts & crafts, calavera (skull) decoration, face painting, and special performances. Each event will also feature a large-scale community altar where attendees may display a photo or memento to honor their departed loved ones. Vallarta Supermarkets will generously provide complimentary water bottles and traditional pan de muerto at all of the events.

Nearly 200 students from 10 nearby Catholic elementary schools will attend the annual Catechetical Day at Calvary Cemetery on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., presented in partnership with the Archdiocese’s Office of Religious Education.

The students will gather in and around the mausoleum and learn about the meaning of Día de los Muertos, decorate sugar skulls, picture frames and craft paper flowers, and build traditional altars in preparation for the 11th annual Día de los Muertos community celebration on Saturday, October 25, at Calvary Cemetery.

Doors will open at 10 a.m. for the community event at Calvary Cemetery this Saturday which will begin with a workshop on the Catholic roots and cultural traditions of Día de los Muertos for children and their families. All will gather for an outdoor Mass at noon presided by Father Miguel Angel Ruiz, pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa Church in Los Angeles. Miriam Solis hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico will share the story of honoring the faithful departed through her music. Ms. Solis was the first performer at the inaugural Día de los Muertos celebration at Calvary Cemetery in 2014. A group of chaplains serving in the Archdiocese will build an altar honoring longtime Los Angeles hospital chaplain and social justice advocate Father Chris Ponnet who died only a couple of weeks ago. An artisan sand and sawdust carpet will depict two new young saints, St. Carlos Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. The cultural program will also showcase the talents of Las Colibri, Danza Azteca of St. Paul’s Church, Danza Matachines of Our Lady of Solitude Parish and Ballet Folklorico Resurrection.

The community celebration at San Fernando Mission Cemetery will take place on Saturday, November 1, from noon to 6 p.m. In the morning, more than 70 children who participate in religious education programs at parishes in the surrounding area will gather for a workshop with their parents about the faithful significance and traditions of Día de los Muertros at the mortuary. Archbishop José H. Gomez will preside an outdoor Mass at noon and then lead a procession around the mausoleum to bless the altars accompanied by Danza Azteca Aguilas del Tepeyac of St. Elizabeth Parish in Van Nuys. The cultural celebration will begin at 1:30 p.m., and for the first time this year, is being presented in partnership with LA City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. The entertainment for the cultural program from will include Miriam Solis, Mariachi Ángeles de Pepe Martinez Jr., Ballet Folklorico Ollin and Las Colibrí, and a Catrina contest with Councilwoman Rodriguez.

On Saturday, November 1st, Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard will also host a community Día de los Muertos celebration. The pilgrim images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego that have been traveling across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will be present at Mass and part of a procession to bless altars around the mausoleum including Matachines Mensajeros de María from St. Anthony Catholic Church in Oxnard and Mariachis Gallo de Oro. Mass at noon will be presided by Msgr. Joseph Hernandez, pastor at Holy Cross Church in Moorpark. The event will feature a 16-foot cross hand-decorated with yellow and orange marigolds, and a sand and sawdust image of the late Pope Francis in the main mausoleum made by an artist from Club Uriangato Guanajuato from Guanajuato, Mexico. The cultural program will highlight Ballet Folklorico de Ventura, Danza Angeles de Guadalupe and Flamenco 805 from 1:30-6 p.m.

Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries will sponsor free churros, esquites, and ice cream, a free photo booth and face painting for children at all of the community events. For more details please visit https://catholiccm.org/diadelosmuertos.

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