Dia de los Muertos Catechetical Day 2024

It was a picture-perfect day, and dozens of volunteers from nearby Catholic cemeteries and mortuaries greeted youngsters on Thursday, Oct. 24, as they climbed off their buses at Calvary Cemetery for Catechetical Day—a celebration of learning, fun, and Mexican culture at this storied East Los Angeles location.

Brian McMahon, the Director of Community Outreach for Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries, welcomes the arriving students.

More than 200 third graders from nine neighboring Catholic schools turned out in a prelude to the annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos – or as we say en Ingles – Day of the Dead. When they arrived that morning, odds are that many of them had, at best, a fuzzy knowledge of the day's meaning, but they'd go home with a whole new understanding of its importance, especially to those in the Latin American community.

Mila & Friends Folklorico offers cultural performances.

Following a tried-and-true format, the day commenced in front of Calvary's main mausoleum, with a greeting and where folkloric dancers put on a foot-stomping show to festive music. From there, they would proceed to the mausoleum's stately, high-ceiling chapel for a discourse on the origins of the Day of the Dead in the land that would become modern-day Mexico. It emerged as a melding of Spaniard and pre-Columbian rituals celebrating those who've passed on from this world. To this day, it remains one of the most important holidays for Mexicans—not only those south of the border but for many here in southern California.

A Sacred Heart student designs a facemask.

Of course, this is a day laden with symbols—yellow and orange marigolds, candles, pictures of deceased loved ones, skeletons who return from the dead for a short reprise of their earthly existence, and more. Those symbols would be reflected in the craftworks students would create later in the morning, including painted sugar skulls and colorful skull masks, paper marigolds, and picture frames they'd have the chance to decorate.

Students from Our Lady of Guadalupe Rose Hill decorate picture frames.

Afterward, they returned to the mausoleum to create altars celebrating the memories of family members who had passed away. They built nine altars in all—one from each participating school. An essential part of each altar was the frames students had adorned, holding pictures of loved ones who had passed away.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Rose Hill students build the altar.

Fr. Emmanuel Sanchez, Associate Pastor of Resurrection Catholic Church in Boyle Heights, blesses the school altars.

It was appropriate that the day would conclude with Mexican fare for lunch—tacos with freshly grilled chicken, carne asada or pork, quesadillas, beans, and rice—all this while the DJ played a lineup of Mexican pop songs from recent times and decades.

Students enjoy lunch catered by Dolores Chili.

 
This year's event proved the staying power of Catechetical Day at Calvary. After a three-year lapse due to Covid 19, it resumed in 2023 with a strong turnout, and this year's celebration only built on that. Said Brian McMahon, Director of Community Outreach for Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries.