La jefa del Templo Santa Muerte Internacional con sede en Tultitlan, Enriqueta Vargas se ha convertido en la liderasa mas dinamica del culto a la Santa Muerte en Mexico. Convertida a la fe depues del asesinato de su hijo Jonathan Legaria Vargas en 2008, quien fundo el templo en Tultitlan, la "Madrina" Vargas ha transformado el … Continue reading Madrina de la Santa Muerte: Entrevista con Lideresa del Culto en Mexico, Enriqueta Vargas
King Death: Santa Muerte in the Philippines
As a specialist in Latin American religion I suspected that sooner or later my research would take me to the Philippines, which was also colonized by Spain. However, I thought it would be the burgeoning Catholic Charismatic Renewal that would lead me there since I had done research on the dynamic movement in Latin America. … Continue reading King Death: Santa Muerte in the Philippines
Noisy Santa Muerte Statue Destroyed by Texas Bomb Squad
Santa Muerte is at it again in the small Texas border-town of San Benito. Two nights ago drivers on a rural road came across a white Santa Muerte statue planted in the middle of the road, on top of the yellow dividing line. At least one passerby believed they heard noises being emitted from the … Continue reading Noisy Santa Muerte Statue Destroyed by Texas Bomb Squad
Santa Muerte News: Human Hands and New Documentary
While Santa Muerte has become a permanent newsmaker, she received an extraordinary amount of coverage over the past couple weeks. The biggest story, by far, was one that Italian journalist Ludavico Laccino and I teamed up for on a series of Mexican cartel hitwomen who had adopted the nom de guerre of "Flaca" (often spelled … Continue reading Santa Muerte News: Human Hands and New Documentary
Three Suspects Detained For Doing Santa Muerte Witchcraft on Town Soccer Field
On Wednesday a number of residents of the town of Buenos Aires, located about twenty miles north of the county seat of Cosoleacaque in the Mexican state of Veracruz, detained three suspected witches and handed them over to Veracruz State Police. It was the burning of Santa Muerte candles by the three suspects in the … Continue reading Three Suspects Detained For Doing Santa Muerte Witchcraft on Town Soccer Field
Marriage and la Madrina – Images from a wedding at El Templo de la Santa Muerte de Tultitlán
El Templo de la Santa Muerte de Tultitlan is quickly becoming one of the most stable and well developed devotional centers associated with Saint Death. The temple's proprietress, Enriqueta Vargas, recently traveled to New York City to meet with Queens shrine holder Arley Vazquez, marking one of the first cross country meetings of high profile … Continue reading Marriage and la Madrina – Images from a wedding at El Templo de la Santa Muerte de Tultitlán
Santa Muerte and Godfather Endoque Saved Me From Armed Robbers
One of Santa Muerte's most important roles is that of protectress. And in a Mexico plagued by so much crime and violence, the demand for supernatural protection is greater than ever. Every day hundreds of thousand of devotees invoke the Powerful Lady's protective powers to shield them from the myriad dangers of the streets of … Continue reading Santa Muerte and Godfather Endoque Saved Me From Armed Robbers
Reflections on the First Academic Conference on 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
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
Devotees of Saint Death March for Life in Juarez, Mexico
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
Most Holy Death 