Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos at the Missions! The Margil Center is open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm.
Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos at the Missions! The Margil Center is open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm.

Día de Los Muertos

at the Missions

Welcome to Día de Los Muertos at the Missions, a celebration held from Saturday October 12th-Saturday November 16th in the Margil Center!

We are hosting a month-long celebration of Día de Los Muertos with ofrendas from the four Mission parish communities of San Antonio. Each church community will display an altar in the Margil Center at the El Camino Campus to honor, remember and celebrate their loved ones. Learn more about the ofrenda symbols and meanings, and the beautiful culture of our Missions.

What is Día de los Muertos?

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a vibrant tradition connected to the Catholic feast days of All Saints and All Souls celebrated on November 1st and 2nd.  Spanish traditions of visiting gravesites and placing flowers and candles were carried to Mexico where they intertwined with indigenous customs, resulting in a unique practice that honors the lives of loved ones who have passed, blending Catholic theology with pre-Hispanic rituals in a colorful and meaningful celebration of remembrance.  In the home, altars decorated with flowers, photos of the deceased, and a variety of food offerings recall the presence of the deceased.

Catholicism embraces all these dimensions of remembering the dead. Whether in prayer for all the faithful departed on All Souls or in the customs of Día de los Muertos. Families gather around altars and cemeteries to affirm life in the midst of death and joy in sorrow.

 The Margil Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. 

263 Felisa St.
San Antonio, TX 78210
(210) 328-3939