Butterfly Release at Cemetery Honors Missing, Unidentified Dead Ahead of Día de los Muertos
The annual ceremony aims to bring comfort to those who have dealt with the loss of loved ones, and honors those who have disappeared or who remain unidentified.
A small butterfly release ceremony commemorated the dead and the missing at Holy Cross Cemetery in Chollas View on Thursday morning, beginning with speeches and a prayer for the dead.
The butterflies were released alongside a statue of St. Jude, the patron saint of hope amid great difficulty.
The annual ceremony aims to bring comfort to those who have dealt with the loss of loved ones, and honors those who have disappeared or who remain unidentified.
The event focused on migrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees, but it also sought to honor anyone who has passed on.
“The Day of the Dead celebration, which is actually November 1st for children and November 2nd for adults, in large part commemorates the people who have died crossing the border,” said human rights activist Enrique Morones, who was part of the butterfly-release ceremony.
“There’s been more than 12,000 people. And they are not forgotten.”
Traditionally, November 1st is the day that the souls of children return to visit beloved friends and family members, and November 2nd is for the adults’ souls to visit.
“A butterfly release is a physical representation of our connection with people and with the divine,” said Frank Modic, a retired chaplain and the ceremonial butterfly wrangler, handed out small boxes containing newly-hatched painted ladies and red admirals for participants to hold until they were ready to fly away.
“It’s a theological metaphor for change and transformation. So when we see a butterfly and let a butterfly go, we remember that our loved ones have passed through and are now at peace and very much let free from all diseases and all types of frailties we have as human beings,” Modic said.
Butterflies are longtime symbols of transformation and freedom of movement for those who have been caught up in immigration laws and policy changes in the United States. They are also considered in some cultures to be the souls of the dead arriving to enjoy the fresh flowers on their Día de los Muertos offerings.
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