PHOTOS: At Mount Olivet Cemetery, the Day of the Dead Became a Celebration of Eternal Life

On All Souls Day, hundreds gathered at Mount Olivet Cemetery to pray for loved ones and celebrate the hope of resurrection through a vibrant Day of the Dead commemoration, complete with a Rosary, Mass, dance and community.

(Photo courtesy of Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery)

By Erin Scherer

Tucked away on the northwest corner of the cemetery, several hundred individuals came together in prayerful hope. It was All Souls Day, and those gathered not only prayed for their departed loved ones but also celebrated life and the hope of resurrection at Mount Olivet’s bilingual Day of the Dead event.

The youth led a Rosary before Mass at the beautiful St. Anthony Mausoleum, and the intentions of the faithful were brought to the altar during the preparation of the gifts and united in the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Following the Mass, a couple stayed inside for a bit, spending time with their departed loved ones.

“My mother is interred here!” shared the woman. “We came last year, too! This is such a beautiful event! We are so glad you do it!”

Culture and Faith Combined

The Day of the Dead commemoration weaves together faith, history and culture through the centuries and up to the present day.

In pre-Hispanic times, the Nahuatl worldview included the concept of face-heart: as long as I remember your face and who you are, you live in my heart. In other words, as long as one is remembered, their legacy endures among the living.

With this understanding, the Spanish missionaries used the Nahuatl concept to teach them about Christ’s triumph over death and the communion of saints.

“They taught about the existence of one God,” explained Father Enrique Alvarado, C.R., who traveled from Ohio to help with the event.

The missionaries, he continued, also taught “that each person has an immortal soul and that our loved ones need our prayerful intercession that, through Christ’s Passion, guides us by God’s grace to salvation and unites us in communion with the universal Church and its three states — the Triumphant Church in Heaven, the Pilgrim Church on earth and the Penitent Church, our brothers and sisters that are in transit from this earthly reality to Heaven.”

“For me,” shared Jaime Bautista, “this type of celebration is very important to share with the community — seeing from a different point of view how our Catholic Church takes parts of these traditions and aligns them with our faith.”

Through the Day of the Dead, the gift of loved ones’ lives is celebrated in the hope-filled light of the Resurrection.

(Photos courtesy of Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery)

Joy- and Hope-Filled Celebration

After Father Alvarado’s teaching, the faithful headed outside to enjoy the hottest November day on record with food, folkloric dances and festive activities for the whole family. Five groups from around the archdiocese had prepared ofrendas, traditional Day of the Dead altars with photos of loved ones to pray for. Children painted skulls, reminding us of our own death, in the Christian spirit of memento mori, and inviting us to live each day with gratitude and the hope of eternal life. They also made marigold flowers with tissue paper, a beautiful reminder of the light of Christ that guides the souls of our loved ones to their heavenly home.

“The artisan experience is important,” Bautista shared, referring to the skulls painted with various colors and designs, “to see death not as tragic, but as a symbol of joy, hope and faith.”

“Thank you for taking back the secular celebration of Halloween and creating a special celebration where we can all remember and celebrate the souls who have gone before us,” said Sarah Cheng, who brought her family to participate in the event.

Kristin Kirkpatrick and her son, Jake, originally came to fulfill volunteer hours, but truly enjoyed their day.

“We loved it and would love to help again next year if you need extra bodies!” shared Kirkpatrick enthusiastically. The organizers, she said, “did an amazing job embracing the cultural importance of Día de Muertos for all who attended.”

The groups that prepared the altars displayed incredible creativity and had the opportunity to experience faith through artistic expression.

“We had a wonderful time,” shared Silvia Gutierrez, from the Prevención y Rescate youth group, one of the groups that prepared an altar. “We all enjoyed it a lot. Count on us next year!”

Jaime Solorzano, coordinator of the youth group from St. Therese Parish in Aurora, echoed Gutierrez’s sentiment.

“For us, it was a very beautiful experience, and the youth were very happy,” he said.

As St. Paul writes to the Romans, “For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living (Rom:14:8-9).”

And that is truly something to celebrate.

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For more information, please visit: www.cfcscolorado.org. Visitors are always welcome to come to the cemetery to pray for the souls of the deceased.