Exploring the fastest growing popular faith in the Americas – La Santa Muerte
The following piece was submitted by Gabriel Oakfield, a Neo-Pagan Santa Muerte devotee from the United Kingdom, who provides his personal perspective on Santa Muerte's place in bridging tensions between a Catholic upbringing and his sexual identity. In this reflection Oakfield also allows us to see one way in which Saint Death's decentralized global presence is acting … Continue reading The Universal Mother and a Universal Flag – A Neo-Pagan reflection on Santa Muerte
Russell Contreras reporting for AP News provides context for an important new development in the Roman Catholic church's official condemnation of Santa Muerte's devotional tradition. U.S. Bishops have, for the first time, come out with an official statement on their position that Santa Muerte is not considered compatible with Catholic values - coming at a … Continue reading U.S. Bishops Denounce Santa Muerte
The following post from the Devoted to Death Facebook group provides a powerful perspective on current events from a U.S. devotee of Santa Muerte. In this piece Robin Artisson reflects on some of the extreme political changes occurring and what place Saint Death may have in helping to focus these issues for those pushed to … Continue reading Santa Muerte as Religious Resistance – Reflections of a Devotee
Por meses tenho esperado pela 15ª aniversário do altar da Santa Muerte, de Enriqueta Romero, no conhecido bairro de Tepito, situado na Cidade do México. A Dona Queta, como é conhecida carinhosamente, lançou, sem premeditar, o movimento religioso que mais cresce nas Américas. E tudo isso simplesmente ao colocar sua estátua de esqueleto - de … Continue reading O Quinto Aniversário da Santa Muerte do México
The Santa Muerte shrine in the tiny Michoacan town of Santa Ana Chapitiro is one of the most impressive in Mexico and a testament to the dynamism of the fastest growing new religious movement in the Americas. Built by a recently deceased devotee from Mexico City, it contains hundreds of exquisite handcrafted images of the … Continue reading House of Holy Death – The Santa Muerte Shrine of Michoacan
Tanto las fotos como la traduccion del ingles fueron realizadas por la Dra. Fabiola Chesnut, Jefa del Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras y Bellas Artes de la Escuela Secundaria Huguenot, Richmond, Virginia, y nativa de Morelia, Michoacán. Texto por el Dr. Andrew Chesnut. El día 28/12/16 asistí a la celebración del 9º aniversario de la fundación … Continue reading ¿Es Santa Muerte – el Nuevo Movimiento Religioso de más rápido crecimiento en las Américas – Institucionalizando?
All photos were taken by Fabiola Chesnut, Chair of Foreign Languages and Fine Arts at Huguenot High School, Richmond, Virginia, and native of Morelia, Michoacan. On 12/28/16 I attended the 9th anniversary celebration of the founding of Templo Santa Muerte Internacional in the gritty Mexico City suburb of Tultitlan.Founded by Jonathan Legaria Vargas, aka Comandante … Continue reading Is the Fastest Growing New Religious Movement in the Americas – Santa Muerte – Institutionalizing?
A key element to Santa Muerte’s rise on the global stage has been her tradition’s distinct lack of central coordination. The power of her skeletal iconography to emerge among devotees of all walks of life has allowed her to move from the backwoods to the barrios of Mexico and from the streets to the highest … Continue reading Santa Muerte Internacional Expands to Dallas and Atlanta
A recent meet-up at a home temple in Dallas, Texas between top Mexican Santa Muerte leader Enriqueta Vargas of Santa Muerte Internacional and Padre Sisyphus Garcia, pioneering founder of the Los Angeles Templo Santa Muerte, provides a perfect portrait of increasing centralization in Santa Muerte's multifaceted public devotional tradition. Vargas' diplomacy has extended the presence of SMI from its base … Continue reading The Enigmatic Allure of the Beautiful Girl
UK writer Asher Meekins represents a growing number of individuals outside of the Americas who have been drawn to Santa Muerte's devotional tradition as a solution to the contemporary drift away from organized religious institutions. The following reflections offer a very personal picture of his journey with the Bony Lady: I just wanted to share … Continue reading ‘My Lady Saint’ – Reflections on devotion from Asher Meekins
