Exploring the fastest growing popular faith in the Americas – La Santa Muerte
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
Dr. Andrew Chesnut, author of the pioneering book on the Bony Lady, Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, The Skeleton Saint will be speaking on Santa Muerte at Death Salon San Francisco, on Saturday, October 11, 2014. He will join an all-star cast of artists, academics and literati who explore the cultures of death from diverse perspectives. … Continue reading Dr. Andrew Chesnut to Speak on Santa Muerte at Death Salon SF
El experto en el culto de la Santa Muerte, Dr. Andrew Chesnut de Virginia Commonwealth University habla de su nuevo libro Santa Muerte: la Segadora Segura con el gran personaje de la television mexicana, Jose Cardenas. Vea la entrevista aqui
On Friday, October 24th, join Dr. Andrew Chesnut at the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn, New York for an unforgettable Dia de los Muertos celebration! From the Morbid Anatomy Museum invitation: "Please join us for our annual Morbid Anatomy Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos costume party! This year we will welcome back the … Continue reading Upcoming Dr. Andrew Chesnut lecture at the Morbid Anatomy Museum
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
The voices of law enforcement and religious anti-cult 'experts' have been prevalent in the public conversation surrounding Santa Muerte's emergence in the global culture. Often at odds with more objective investigation, the testimony and analysis of these pundits has made searching out the thread of reality within her tradition more difficult for those unaware that … Continue reading Overturning Bias – 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals & Santa Muerte
With new evidence from the Philippines, the Spanish origins of Santa Muerte are clearer than ever. Filipino photographer Estan Cabigas details the effigies of the Bony Lady that date back at least to the 1850s in the former Spanish colony. http://langyaw.com/2011/04/21/strange-santa-muerte-in-the-philippines/ The skeleton saint’s role in Filipino Holy Week processions appears very similar … Continue reading Santa Muerte in the Philippines
As media reports on the Bony Lady repeat the same tired narco-saint narrative ad nauseum, the big developing story is that of the rapid globalization of devotion to Santa Muerte. Keeping in mind that the skeleton saint was unknown to the great majority of Mexicans until a little over a decade ago, it’s astonishing that … Continue reading Saint Without Borders: Santa Muerte Goes Global
With banners proclaiming “sons and daughters of Santa Muerte for peace in Juarez” some two to three hundred devotees of Saint Death organized a peace march in a city so violent that it recently earned the moniker “Baghdad on the Border.” Departing from one of the border city’s main Santa Muerte shrines, the marchers processed … Continue reading Devotees of Saint Death March for Life in Juarez, Mexico
In response to recent acts of aggression from religious rivals, Mexico’s top Santa Muerte temple head, Enriqueta Vargas of Tultitlan, spoke exclusively to Skeleton Saint about her role in the cult of Saint Death and her intention “to cleanse” the cult of what she regards as profiteers and charlatans....Let me make it very clear that … Continue reading Let The Earth Tremble! Top Santa Muerte Leader Seeks to Cleanse the Cult
Most Holy Death 