Memorial / Funeral for a Santa Muerte Devotee

Center Image by Foundry Co on Pixabay.

Primary Use:

A ritual to honor and remember the life of a Santa Muerte devotee.

You Will Need

1 Black Candle - to invite the energy of the Santa Muerte.
1 Burn Plate or Bowl - to hold the candle as it burns.

Important Notes

This ritual is designed in the style of a celebration of life and is intended to be performed indoors up until the "Final Placement of Remains," (seen below). 

The remains of the deceased, if available, would be placed at the front of an audience of invited guests. The person leading this ritual - the Leader - would be positioned beside the remains facing the guests. If no remains are available, then a photo or photos of the deceased should stand in their place.

A small table or other platform placed near the remains can be positioned to safely hold the black candle and burn plate. A depiction of Santa Muerte can be placed on this platform as well. If the deceased kept a Santa Muerte altar before their passing, then the depiction used here could be a personal altar piece.

The Ritual

The ritual can begin when all guests have arrived and taken their seats. To mark the beginning of the ritual, the Leader lights the black candle on the burn plate. The Leader then faces the audience of guests and prays:

"Santa Muerte, Saint of Death,
one of yours is laid to rest.
Now we gather in this place,
now this life we celebrate."

Opening Remarks

Next, the Leader may make opening remarks, explaining the significance of death in the life of a Santa Muerte devotee. These may be original remarks or a recitation of the words that follow:

"The Santa Muerte is death itself, and she loves us all. We know she loves us all, because she will come for us all, just as she has come for NAME OF DECEASED.

Death is a fact of life. It is not to be feared, but accepted. When a person chooses to become a devotee of the Santa Muerte, they make the conscious decision to accept their own mortality. For it is only when mortality is accepted that even the smallest and most mundane events in our lives can become beautiful and sweet."

Summary of Life

Distilling an entire life into a few short words is never easy, but at this point in the ritual, the Leader can read a prepared summary of the deceased's life. The Leader can share facts of the deceased, like where they were born and where they lived, personal details of the deceased, like their passions and hobbies, and interesting facts of the deceased, like their major accomplishments.

Audience Sharing

At this point, the audience is invited to share personal stories about the deceased. Anything from funny stories to life lessons can be shared. If the Leader is a close family member or friend, it would be appropriate for the Leader to share the first story, then invite members of the audience to do the same. This is a portion of the ritual which does not need to be rushed.

Moment of Silence

When everyone in the audience has had the opportunity to share their personal stories about the deceased, the Leader should now call for a moment of silence to last about three minutes. This period can be introduced with the following words from the Leader:

"At this point I would like to ask for a moment of silence to honor and remember NAME OF DECEASED. Please take this time to reflect internally on anything that you may like. The silence will last for three minutes."

Removal of Remains

After the moment of silence, the remains of the deceased, if present, may be removed from view. If any music has been selected for this occasion, then now is the time to play it. If a casket is present it can be moved into a hearse for delivery to the burial plot. If an urn is present, it can be stored in a place of respect out of view of invited guests.

When the remains are out of view, the Leader may now extinguish the black candle.

When the flame of the candle is extinguished, the Leader may thank the invited guests for attending.

Final Placement of Remains

If an internment of remains or scattering of ashes is to immediately follow this ritual, then guests in attendance may be invited to follow the remains to the location of internment or scattering of the ashes. This may or may not occur, as some families may choose to bury, entomb, or scatter the remains far from where this ritual takes place.

At the site where the remains will be laid to rest or scattered, those in attendance may reflect peacefully on the life of the deceased, and the Leader may recite the following prayer, as many times as is needed, as the remains are covered in Earth, sealed in place, or scattered:

"Santa Muerte, Saint of Death,
one of yours is laid to rest.
Bless those here gathered today,
Bless us all in your good name."

Once the remains are covered with Earth, sealed in place, or completely scattered, the Leader may then thank the guests for attending and declare the ritual complete. This can be accomplished with original remarks, or a recitation of the words that follow:

"I would like to thank everybody for being in attendance today.
This ritual, just like the life which we have gathered to celebrate, is now complete.
​May the Santa Muerte bless us all."