It is difficult for me to make the distinction between Enriqueta Vargas Ortiz the person I adored and the spiritual leader that she was and now the transition to....I don't know, for me at least she is at the right hand of San Padrino Endoque (Jonathan Legaria Vargas.)* I understand what blossoms in a lot … Continue reading Loving Godmother, Holy Saint – Santa Muerte devotee Hank Vine on the death of la Madrina Enriqueta Vargas Ortiz, leader of Santa Muerte Internacional
Top Santa Muerte Leader Enriqueta Vargas is in the Bony Lady’s Embrace
La Madrina Enriqueta Vargas Ortiz (b. 1959 - d. 2018), the charismatic leader of Santa Muerte Internacional, has died after a prolonged battle with cancer. The SMI temple in Tultitlan will hold a viewing on December 19th at noon, beneath the feet of the largest statue of Santa Muerte in the world. On December … Continue reading Top Santa Muerte Leader Enriqueta Vargas is in the Bony Lady’s Embrace
10 Años Enalteciendo a Nuestra Santa Muerte – Reflections on the 2017 anniversary celebration for Santa Muerte Internacional from Hank Vine
Yes, it has been a very good day... The gentleman who rescued me at the airport the last time I visited (see Born in Texas, Complete in Mexico) is the one who I went with today. I got called up to speak and be introduced to the people and I told how Flaca has given … Continue reading 10 Años Enalteciendo a Nuestra Santa Muerte – Reflections on the 2017 anniversary celebration for Santa Muerte Internacional from Hank Vine
Born in Texas, Complete in Mexico – The Testimony of Warren Robert ‘Hank’ Vine
The following account is provided by Texas devotee, Warren Robert 'Hank' Vine - it details experiences he had with la Santa Muerte during a recent trip to Ecatepec, Mexico: I will attempt to put into correct articulation the events of today, but I must preface what I am about to say with: My American friends … Continue reading Born in Texas, Complete in Mexico – The Testimony of Warren Robert ‘Hank’ Vine
Santa Muerte Internacional Expands to Dallas and Atlanta
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
The Enigmatic Allure of the Beautiful Girl
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
10 Years of Santa Muerte in NYC
On August 20, 2016, New York City devotional pioneer Arely Vazquez hosted her tenth annual Santa Muerte fiesta in Queens. Joined by the preeminent Santa Muerte leader in Mexico, Enriqueta Vargas of Templo Santa Muerte Internacional, Arely led some 150 devotees in an evening of prayer, song and dance. At first I was surprised by … Continue reading 10 Years of Santa Muerte in NYC
3 Years with the Empress of the Americas
April 29th, 2016 marked the 3 year anniversary of SkeletonSaint.com. It's been a wild and wonderful journey encountering and engaging the enigmatic Nina Bonita from jail cells in Madison County, Georgia to private shrines in the Philippines - the Americas’ fastest growing new spirituality continues to spread around the world and we’ve been at the … Continue reading 3 Years with the Empress of the Americas
Game Over: ‘Madrina’ Enriqueta Vargas Officiates the First Funeral at Santa Muerte Internacional
(VAYA AQUI para el artículo en español) Weddings and baptisms performed by Santa Muerte leaders are increasingly common in Mexico and the U.S.. For example, Enriqueta Vargas, head of the Templo Santa Muerte Internacional on the outskirts of Mexico City, now performs both rites on a weekly basis. It had always struck me as odd that … Continue reading Game Over: ‘Madrina’ Enriqueta Vargas Officiates the First Funeral at Santa Muerte Internacional
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
Most Holy Death 