Annual Father-Daughter Mass Coincides With All Saints Day and Día de Los Muertos
The Father-Daughter mass was held on All Saints Day and Día de Los Muertos to commemorate the memories of loved ones who have passed.
PHOTO | Kennedy Wade
Sophomore Byrnna Dow and her dad Peter Dow sit together at the annual Father-Daughter Mass Nov. 1 in the gym. Father’s were invited to attend the Mass that happens each year on All Saints Day.
The annual father-daughter Mass was held on All Saints Day Tuesday, Nov. 1. Father-Daughter Mass has been a long tradition for students to invite their fathers, grandfathers or father figures to worship in Mass. A Día de Los Muertos altar was also constructed and displayed for the Mass.
The Día de Los Muertos altar displayed photos of students loved ones who have died, candles and symbols that correspond to the holiday. The altar was constructed by art students and National Spanish Honors Society members.
“I think it’s a great tradition because it really allows us to connect with our fathers,” senior Sarah White said. “I don’t think we get to spend as much time with them as when we were younger.”
White and her father, Mike White, gave a speech on the meaning of faith and reflected on their own faiths. Mike said that four main things drive him in life: God, family, his country and the Kansas City Chiefs. White said that her father acts as a role model in living her own faith-filled life every day.
“I think the mass each year has definitely brought us closer together,” White said, “It was really interesting to hear what he is actually thinking.”
The Mass has always been on or around Nov. 1 to incorporate themes from Día de Los Muertos and All Saints Day, which is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. Día de Los Muertos is a holiday that originated in Mexico and is now celebrated across many Latin American countries and the United States. It is intended to honor those who have died. It begins on Oct. 31 and ends Nov. 2. The celebration typically revolves around the creation of an altar, which incorporates pictures of those who have passed as well as sugar skulls or favorite foods and drinks of the loved ones. All Saints Day is a Christian holiday celebrated Nov. 1. to honor the lives and deaths of saints, known and unknown.
“We always have a small altar set up for this week, and we put all the pictures of loved ones as a way to remember,” Spanish teacher Alicia Gomez said. “But we put the altar right outside the mass because it goes perfect with the Día de Los Muertos celebration”