HW # 48

I decided to first interview my mom, who is Roman Catholic and Mexican. She grew in a town where almost everyone knew each other, so she attended several funerals through out her life. From all the funerals attended only one stood out, because in Mexico back then and still today many practice Catholicism, making the rituals all pretty much the same at every funeral. Rituals that I mentioned about in my previous blog # 46, “ the Mexican people have them at home in the casket covered surrounded by wreaths of flowers. Where the family and friends prays over the coffin because in Mexico, homes are actual houses not tiny apartments. Then the next day he or she is taken to the cemetery and the priest comes to pray and bless him or her before the person is finally buried. Then for 9 nights, they pray for this person but on the ninth night they pray with the cross that like a gravestone will be placed over the grave.” This time my mom adds that there is always someone guiding others in pray for the person who has passed away.

The funeral that stood out to her the family was from another religion (she thinks it might have been Evangelic but does not remember too well). Where instead of the usual praying over body, they incinerate the body right away holding no mass for the person who has passed away. The emotions my mother says that were felt in the room at every funeral she went to were of sadness, pain, suffering but most of all compassion for the family of the person who is now dead. What surprised me most during the interview was when I asked her if she had decided on how she would like to be cared for once she has passed away, and she said “No…” I was shocked because I expected it to be an immediate answer. She continues to say; “ I think my children will decide for me according to our religion and customs.” Again another shock, because I thought everyone might care to input on how they would like to be cared for after their death. But I think she trusts us to make the right decisions, knowing fully well my mother would never want to be incinerated and mentioned that she would like to be buried in her native land. In Mexico, buried beside the tomb of her parents.

Not done....