Plymouth Magazine-Fall26-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 56
Plymouth All Saints
Saturday Night Worship Service
By Robin Heinemann and Lorenzo Sandoval
Our Saturday Night “All-Saints Day”
observance on Oct. 31 will continue
what we hope will be a growing and
enduring annual Plymouth tradition,
a service that enables congregants to
remember and honor those who have
passed away, no matter when they died.
ABOUT THE 2026 SERVICE PLANS
Though elements of our 2026 observance
will continue to be inspired by “Dia
de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)”
traditions, we will celebrate “All-Saints
Day” in a spiritually meaningful way by
providing a time when many forms of
authentic remembrance practices can
unfold. Rather than copying traditions
wholesale, we’ll ground our worship
in respect, learning, and sincerity, and
our personal lives. After all, the heart
of the Christian All Saints tradition is
remembrance, love, and connection with
those who have passed.
A person doesn’t require Latinx ancestry
to honor the dead in that spirit. But to
kick off this new service last year, several
Plymouth members created beautiful
and inspiring versions of Mexican
ofrendas — artistic or homemade
displays that help us all remember
and honor deceased loved ones. These
displays were essentially small spiritual
spaces that held physical items such as
photos of deceased friends and/or family
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members as well as personal mementos
that evoked the cherished aspects of the
departed’s personalities. These memorials
were displayed in Waveland Hall in a
memorable collective spirit of sharing
and remembrance. As a core of the
service for 2026, we’ll continue providing
display spaces this year. Everyone is
welcome to plan to create and decorate a
space and to share their loved one’s lives
and memories with your church family.
At the same time, we’ll also expand the
artistic elements of the 2026 service by
involving new participants. So, we’ll be
open to any additional faith traditions
they may bring, as Plymouth members
present poetry and special readings
and more -much like the different
congregants who present at Plymouth’s
“Longest Night” Christmas-time service.
Last year’s inaugural new format for out
All Saint’s observance was well received,
and my son and parents having died
in recent years, in 2025 it was a deep
honor for me to help spearhead various
elements of this new worship format in
their honor.
This year, we hope that many more
Plymouth members will participate
in the All-Saints Day observance;
participation can take the form of joining
the planning committee, creating a
remembrance display, bringing a potluck
dish, or simply attending the service to
enjoy the displays, special music, and art.
If you decide to have a remembrance
display that you will create at the church,
we offer some suggestions. First of all,
know that grief has no timeline. We can
honor those who have died no matter
how recent or “far off ” their death was.
Know also that you are free to embark on
this spiritual journey by using the oftenexuberant spirit of the Mexican ofrenda,
but don’t necessarily think you should
aim for a replica.
Your display should come from your
heart, and it can comprise any, most, or
all of the following:
• Photos of loved ones
• Objects that reflect their personality,
for example, a baseball cap, a coffee
mug, a hairbrush, a necklace, etc.
• Their favorite foods or drinks,
perhaps donated to our food
pantry after your display.
• Candles
• Flowers, marigolds are traditional to
Latinx cultures, but any meaningful
flower works.
• A written message or letter to them.
• Handmade drawings or art that
symbolizes their life.
