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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO: A woman prays in front of a statue of Santa Muerte (St. Death) in Iglesia de la Piedad (Mercy Church) in the Tepito section of Mexico City. St. Death is venerated throughout Mexico and Mexican communities in the United States. The veneration of St. Death started in Mexico's prisons about 10 years and has since spread through working class neighborhoods in many Mexican cities. The worship of St. Death was recognized as an official by the Mexican government in 2003. The Catholic Church in Mexico is opposed to the worship of St. Death and has held rallies and prayer vigils against the Saint. The small church in Tepito is frequently swamped with visitors and the religion has spread quickly through the tough, drug and crime plagued neighborhood, widely considered the most lawless in Mexico City. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
