Beloved priest killed by COVID honored by Mecca residents for ‘Day of the Dead’
Residents of the community of Mecca have created an altar to honor a beloved priest who was killed after a battle with COVID-19 earlier this year.
Father Francisco Valdovinos, 58, of Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Meccca died on January 15 following a near-month-long battle with coronavirus.
Valdovinos first came to Mecca in 2018 and he was able to make a major impact in the community during his three years with its residents.
"He was always smiling, he liked to play, he was a very happy person, he sang. He is a priest like no other that I have ever met," Monica Galvez, a parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe, told Telemundo 15's Marco Revuelta.
The gazebo at Our Lady of Guadalupe is now adorned with confetti of many colors. The stairs to the dais are covered with a flowery mat made of tissue paper.
“Everything was done by hand and everything was done with love,” said Shayra Hernandez, a Mecca resident.
The intense color of the marigold flowers adorn the altar dedicated to Valdovinos. Among candles and sugar skulls, the community also placed the priest's favorite stews, nopales salad, beans with cheese, and golden tortillas.
Shayra Hernandez says that they needed to include guavas.
“They were Father Francisco's favorites, and since he's from Michoacán, there's a lot of guava there,” Hernandez said.
Valdovinos has been credited for helping put together different initiatives to help the community, including organizing health clinics and education projects for those lacking reading or writing skills. He also helped develop programs to offer legal advice on issues such as immigration.
"This is a little bit that we can do to say thank you to the father, for everything he did," Galvez said of the altar in Valdovinos' memory.
"A very humble man who was very committed to our farmworkers, to our eastern Coachella Valley community," said Luz Gallegos, who worked with Valdovinos. "He always wanted to give without asking for anything in return."
Valdonvinos' dedication to helping his community was not stopped by the pandemic. He was on the frontlines, organizing food distribution and opening up his church as a COVID testing site. It was especially helpful in the east valley which was hit hard by COVID.
Please keep Father Francisco Valdovinos, Pastor of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mecca, in your thoughts as he struggles with COVID19-related symptoms. He is well known in Mecca for getting community members tested for coronavirus, among his many good deeds. #RivCoNOW pic.twitter.com/vjBiCzdufc
— rivcohealthdirector (@rivcohealthdir1) December 28, 2020
Residents said the "Day of the Dead" offering is a tribute to his tireless work before and during the pandemic in the community.
"From his money he bought food to make a pantry, little by little he began to take money from his acquaintances, from the government to help the community that he loved so much," Galvez said.
"Day of the Dead" is this Tuesday, Nov. 2. The community is invited to stop by the altar and leave offerings or appreciate the altar, located right near the front entrance of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mecca.
