The Brave News

by Brett Baligad, Senior Editor

Filling the Mary Help of Christians Quad with lights and colors, Dia de los Muertos brought the solemnity and unity of the Brave community, as they mourned and celebrated the lives of their passed loved ones. The successful event was filled with clubs and organizations from across campus honoring family, friends and fallen Braves.

Dia de los Muertos is a special celebration within the Catholic faith, specifically in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. With a large influence of Hispanic culture within the Bosco community, Dia de los Muertos celebrations have always been a significant part of the Bosco community. Preparations for this annual event have been going on for months, as altars, vendors, and artists became the stars of the evening. 

Last Wednesday, students could find clubs setting up for the evening as early as the start of school that morning. Altars lined the center of the quad honoring different loved ones, such as former St. John Bosco staff, grandparents, family members, pets and veterans. These altars were hosted by on-campus organizations, such as the Religion Department, World Language Department, Parents Association, ASB, Golf, Football and many more.

Accompanied by the altars were marigolds and ofrendas. Marigolds are orange flowers that use their scent to attract the souls of the dead toward the ofrendas. The ofrendas are offerings that are typically the deceased loved ones favorite foods or items.

“The altars were beautifully decorated, and it was nice to see previous members of our campus represented, such as the former director of security and my friend, Ish,” said Mr. Solorza, Class of ‘13. “One of my personal favorites was the pet altar.”

As the night began, Fr. Ted Montemayor brought the Brave and Jester community together in prayer, as he blessed all of the altars with incense and Holy Water and remembered the loved ones that stood upon them.

“I really enjoyed the blessing. It was an impactful integration of our faith and our schools rich Mexican heritage,” said senior Ryan Gutierrez. “The Dia de los Muertos blessing was really powerful and well done by Fr. Ted.” 

Following the blessing, vendors sold all sorts of foods and desserts for people to purchase. Food vendors were sponsored by organizations such as the Compa Club, Black Student Union, Spanish Honors Society, Brothers of Bosco and more. The event had a wide selection of goods to choose from with the most notable items being tacos, nachos, tamales, champurrados and cookies.

“I really enjoyed the food. My favorites were the nachos and tacos. Even though I’m not usually a fan, the Jamaica drink was tasty as well,” said senior Sebastian Lim.

To keep the entertainment going, live performances from the St. Joseph Folklorico Club and a mariachi band filled Bosco’s campus with excitement and color for the rest of the evening. With the amazing help of the Dia de los Muertos Committee, the coordinators of the event, the night was spearheaded by Ms. Edna Ramirez, Mr. Daniel Benitez and Ms. Patricia Martinez, and their efforts made the evening a huge success.

The Dia de los Muertos Committee invites all of those who missed out to stop by next year, as there will be more goods and entertainment to enjoy. Through the love and tradition of the St. John Bosco community, Dia de los Muertos will always be a grand gesture to the lives and legacies of those who have impacted us and the Bosco community at large.