Despite the fact that over 90% of Santa Muerte devotees live in Mexico and the U.S., the first ever academic conference http://www.centroestudiosmexicanos.nl/2014.html dedicated exclusively to the skeleton saint was held in Europe, at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, on 11/21/14. Europeans have taken a particular interest in the growth of devotion to Saint … Continue reading Reflections on the First Academic Conference on Santa Muerte
Santa Muerte Shrine in Michoacan
The Santa Muerte shrine in the tiny Michoacan town of Santa Ana Chapitiro is one of the most impressive in Mexico. Built by a devotee from Mexico City, it contains exclusively handcrafted images of the skeleton saint. Devotees come from all over Mexico and the United States to leave offerings of thanksgiving and also to … Continue reading Santa Muerte Shrine in Michoacan
La Pieta – The Compassion of Most Holy Death
Mercy, pity, and compassion are not words that you will see outsiders associating with Santa Muerte, the skeletal saint whose tradition is currently one of the fastest growing religious movements in the Americas and around the globe. Yet, La Pieta, 'The Mercy,' Michelangelo's masterpiece depicting Mary cradling the peaceful body of Christ after the Crucifixion, … Continue reading La Pieta – The Compassion of Most Holy Death
Sister Death and Brother Francis at Holy Week in Chimayo, New Mexico
Santa Muerte’s origins in the U.S. date much further back than her recent influx with Mexican immigrants over the past decade. During the 19th century in the mountain towns of New Mexico and southern Colorado, Mexican-American Catholics personified death as a female figure known as Doña Sebastiana, a moniker still heard today for Santa Muerte. … Continue reading Sister Death and Brother Francis at Holy Week in Chimayo, New Mexico
Death & Taxes – Santa Muerte, Saint of Good Fortune
With tax time coming up for those living in the United States, many are searching for ways to help save them from the eager reach of the IRS. The 'Revenue Man' has long been the enemy of those on the outside of the thin ranks of the social elite, so it's no surprise that the … Continue reading Death & Taxes – Santa Muerte, Saint of Good Fortune
San Padrino Endoque – The first saint of Santa Muerte
At 3 a.m. on July 31st, 2008 unknown assailants sprayed Jonathan Legaria Vargas' car with over 150 bullets, killing him instantly but sparing his two passengers. Known as both "Padrino (Godfather) Endoque' and "Comandante Pantera," Vargas was a charismatically outspoken leader in the growing public devotional tradition surrounding Santa Muerte. With the creation of a … Continue reading San Padrino Endoque – The first saint of Santa Muerte
La Nina de Muchas Caras – The many faces of Santa Muerte
When one begins to search for Santa Muerte, it quickly becomes apparent that as she travels through the Americas, and now around the globe, she does so with an ever changing face. As death itself, she wears many masks, suited to the personal predilections of those she approaches. Although her devotees in Mexico and the … Continue reading La Nina de Muchas Caras – The many faces of Santa Muerte
Altares Digitales – Online offerings to Most Holy Death
Retablos, or devotional paintings, are a familiar aspect of Latin American Catholicism. These heart felt offerings, along with ex-votos which depict specific miracles, have become popular for their aesthetic qualities and as examples of folk art that transcends spiritual boundaries. The following ex-voto from 1935 gives an idea for those unfamiliar with the form, it … Continue reading Altares Digitales – Online offerings to Most Holy Death
Santa Muerte – Saint of Love
"In Sebastopol,California, at the Flea Market, where i first encountered her image on a novena booklet, which cost $9.00, i asked the old woman selling it, in my broken ugly Spanish: "La Santisima Meurte -- la razon por la que? [gesture of praying hands] Por que ... oracion? -- and she replied, "Matrimonio." - Catherine Yronwode, proprietor of Lucky … Continue reading Santa Muerte – Saint of Love
La Nina Negra – Angel de la Santa Muerte Protector Contra Enemigos
The latest update in the destruction of the Santa Muerte chapel in Matamoros, Tamulipas is an inflatable doll inscribed with curses against the current mayor Leticia Salazar Vazquez. This visceral symbol was found hanging from a footbridge in the Plaza Fiesta on January 15th, 2014. The effigy mentions Vazquez's roll in the demolition of sacred … Continue reading La Nina Negra – Angel de la Santa Muerte Protector Contra Enemigos
Most Holy Death 