CATHOLIC CEMETERIES TO HOST VIRTUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS OUTDOOR VIGIL PRAYER SERVICE AT CALVARY CEMETERY IN EAST L.A. NOV. 1ST

October 27, 2021  |  By: newsroom  |  Press Releases  |  

—Media are invited to cover altar decoration and a music rehearsal the Saturday before the prayer vigil at Calvary Cemetery’s Mausoleum—

The Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Office of Religious Education will host a virtual Día de los Muertos celebration, on November 1, the Feast Day of All Souls, which will be livestreamed from Calvary Cemetery & Mortuary starting at 7 p.m. on lacatholics.org/ddlm. Due to the ongoing pandemic, it is the second consecutive year that the annual event will be virtual since its inception in 2014, drawing thousands from throughout the Archdiocese. Media are invited to cover altar decoration and prayer vigil rehearsal on Saturday, October 30 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. (rehearsal will begin at 7 p.m.) at Calvary’s Mausoleum Courtyard, 4201 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023.

The virtual Día de los Muertos will feature live music and an outdoor prayer vigil at the cemetery’s Mausoleum, led by Archbishop José H. Gomez. Traditional Day of the Dead/All Souls Day images will be projected on a large scale on the exterior walls of the Mausoleum, which will remain open to the public the evenings of Nov. 2-3, from 6 p.m. to 8pm. The event will also feature altars honoring the lives of victims of human trafficking, those who have died from mental health conditions, the unborn, lives of those claimed by Covid-19, and fallen servicemembers in Afghanistan, among others. The altars will be built by representatives of the Archdiocese’s departments, including the Office of Life, Justice and Peace, and the Mission Office and partner organizations. Altars in the Mausoleum Courtyard will remain on display from November 2- 5, 2021 for public viewing from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Prior to the Día de los Muertos virtual vigil, a group of Catholic School students will participate in a virtual Catechetical Day sponsored by the Archdiocese’s Office of Religious Education, where they will learn about the meaning and significance of the cultural celebration commemorating All Souls Day, according to our Catholic faith. Students will also be decorating special butterflies, symbolic of Día de los Muertos, which will be displayed at Calvary Cemetery.

“Once again, we find ourselves with a modified celebration of Día de los Muertos and observance of All Souls Day,” said Brian McMahon, Director of Community Outreach of the Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries Department. “However, that has not dampened our efforts to provide a meaningful Catechetical Day for the children, our evening Prayer Vigil, All Souls Day Mass, and altar displays.”

Día de los Muertos, an All Souls Day celebration, is a vibrant faith-based tradition, when the life of the deceased is honored and celebrated through songs, prayer and ofrendas (altars). Please find attached a bilingual Día de los Muertos flyer.

On Tuesday, November 2 at 10 a.m., Archbishop José H. Gomez will celebrate All Souls Day Mass at 10 a.m., which will be livestreamed from Calvary Cemetery & Mortuary on lacatholics.org/ddlm and facebook.com/lacatholics.

For more information, please visit lacatholics.org/ddlm or https://catholiccm.org/.

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