Día de los Muertos: Remembering, Celebrating, Praying

Día de los Muertos: Remembering, Celebrating, Praying

Día de los Muertos: Remembering, Celebrating, Praying 150 150 Dayton Christ Episcopal Church

Growing up along the Mexican-American border, the altar for the dead at our parish was a typical sight every fall, as a way to celebrate the lives of our loved ones gone before us. There would be pictures of familiar and unfamiliar faces. Following the loss of a dear friend, I remember choosing a picture and going with my mom to place it on the ofrenda, and feeling comforted knowing they could hear my prayers. The tradition is a celebration of loved ones’ earthly lives, and mourning their loss. However, it is also about rejoicing in the resurrection and the life that is to come when we will be reunited. We celebrate with dance and prayer, and stories. Families would bring some of the favorite foods and drinks of their loved ones to the ofrenda, and the sweet incense blended with the smell of enchiladas and barbeque to fill the air.

This fall, all of Christ Church is invited to participate in this tradition of Holy Remembering. Beginning October 10th, there will be an ofrenda up in the nave, a place for anyone to leave behind a photo of a loved one, or a special trinket to remember them by. We have several programs to accompany our observance of this season, including an Adult Forum called Holy Remembering, October 10th, 24th and 31st, at 9am in the nave and on Facebook live. Our Family Faith Night for October will also center on Día de los Muertos on Saturday October 23rd at 6pm in the Parish Hall.

Submitted by: MaryJane Plote, Program Assistant at Christ Episcopal Church – Dayton

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