One of the things that was
very prominent about it was
that they had an Alto Santa.
What they with one of the bigger
statues that I've ever seen.
An investigation into a stash house on
Bear County, Southwest side is ongoing.
You may remember the discovery of
this Santa Muerte altar by the Bear
County Sheriff's Office in February.
Leading investigators to believe the suspects
involved were likely drug smugglers.
The folks saying has a bad
rap among law enforcement,
but we found she's growing in
popularity among people in South Texas.
KENS 5 reporter Sarah Duran spent
the last month diving into the
history of Santa Muerte to learn
its many sides and rising devotion.
A hooded robe drapes the Santa
Muerte from head to toe carrying
a sign that depicted Lady St death
resembles the European Grim Reaper.
A skeletal face exposes part
of its complex identity at Papa
John's Botanica off South Flores,
but for believers they see more
than just stubbornly lady.
It is a very popular St.
Julie Garcia explains its use to
customers in the South side shop.
Each color representing
the different miracles.
Devotees ask of the Santa Muerte.
The red color has been.
The most known petitioning
for love to the folk Saints.
Experts say it's the oldest
prayer in Santa Muertes history,
dating back to 18th century Mexico colors,
representing safety, health, money,
success and others added overtime,
increasing her appeal,
especially within the last two decades.
We do still see a lot of
Hispanic heritage in here,
but it's it's spreading out there.
She came to a dream and she told me,
hey, get up everything, all right.
And and since then I've been trying for
Bobby. Villarreal says his journey
began when the Santa Muerte
was more of a secret society.
Now he freely shares his faith
as a self described profit,
running a terrible card business.
The 51 year old's belief is an exclusive
I'm Catholic Christian.
I'm Santa Marta. I'm diversional.
I can pray to pray to all these things.
I use all the powers. He
doesn't expect others to understand.
They've got things I'm doing wrong.
Well, let him judge you when when I'm
standing in front of him. That priest,
the Catholic Church,
rebuke Santa Muerte.
The Archdiocese of San Antonio
was firm on its stance.
The leadership of the church
has been saying that is wrong.
That is wrong. That is wrong,
wrong because the church
believes it worships death.
The enemy of Christ who resurrected
for that reason and others,
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia, Sierra,
says Santa Muerte will never be canonized.
Santa Muerte is no Santa at all.
Is not real, it's an escalation.
In this Gallatin kind of
do anything for us, ties
to violence, drugs,
and human trafficking also give
her a bad Rep in February,
a Bear County Sheriff's Office
investigation revealed a Santa Muerte
alter at a stash house on scene.
Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters
Human and drug smuggling could be at play,
but the case remains open,
but certainly the presence of that
altar did raise some eyebrows.
It isn't the first time the route
is career. Sheriff Salazar hasn't.
Entered Santamarta hundreds of times
in San Antonio and its outskirts.
Maybe it's our our close
proximity to the border.
Maybe it's the fact that we
have such a such an issue with
drugs and organized crimes here,
he says criminals prey to the folk
St for protection from officers,
but he knows not everyone in
possession is outrunning the law.
It has reached its way into
the mainstream. Unfortunately
this is the fastest growing
new religious movement,
documenting its popularity
is Doctor Andrew Chestnut,
the religious studies professor
at Virginia Commonwealth.
University says her rise in devotion
is explained with several reasons,
but mainly her reputation as being a miracle,
working St for believers
comes through faster and more
efficiently with miracles.
Now, whether or not she answers
your prayers is another story you
know. At the end of the day,
it kind of depends what you
believe or don't believe
and good or bad. That's up for
you to decide. Sarah Doran KENS 5.
The Archbishop says he's
had very few parishioners.
Ask about the Santa White while the
archdiocese has performed exorcisms
in the past as a priests have never
performed one on somebody needing
expulsion from the Santa Muerte.