According to R. Andrew Chesnut, a scholar of Latin American history and professor of religious studies, Santa Muerte is at the center of the single fastest-growing new religious movement in the Americas. [9]
Who is Santa Muerte? This beginner's guide explains the facts about La Santa Muerte, the Saint of Death. Discover her story and common practices of her followers.
Santa Muerte is a product of this syncretism, embodying elements of both indigenous death deities and Catholic saints. This blending of traditions allowed Santa Muerte to become a unique figure in Mexican spirituality, representing a bridge between the old and the new.
La Santa Muerte: Why the Mexican Death Saint is More Popular Than Ever
Across the country you will find variations of the Santa Muerte cult, in particular in the states of Veracruz and Hidalgo. Most believers have a Santa Muerte figurine in their homes which they decorate, dress, talk and pray to – an important member of their family.
Everything You Need to Know About Santa Muerte, Mexico's Saint of Death
Santa Muerte is a recent phenomenon, a modern-day folk saint: the patron saint of death. For twenty years, the veneration of this folk saint has been the fastest-growing religious movement in the West.
**Santa Muerte — “Holy Death” or “Saint Death” — is a Mexican folk saint who personifies death itself. She is not officially recognized by the Catholic Church but is deeply venerated by millions of devotees in Mexico, the U.S., and beyond.
The Mexican folk saint of death, Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte has grown in popularity in recent years — much to the dismay of the Catholic Church.