When Juan Manuel Guzman commemorates the “Day of the Dead,” he will remember his grandmother Francis Rodriguez, who died last November at age 86.

“I plan to make a mole for her and light a candle in her memory,” said Guzman, 32, the associate pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

About a year after arriving in Indianapolis from his hometown of Mexico City, Guzman coordinated a memory altar at the church in honor of “El Dia de los Muertos” (“Day of the Dead”).

More than 50 people brought their favorite foods and photographs of departed loved ones. Flowers and candles also were placed on the altar.

The “Day of the Dead” celebration that Guzman started will continue today — through Nov. 1 — during a 1:15 p.m. Mass at St. Mary’s.

“A lot of people in our Hispanic community are from Mexico. This is a tradition that brings them closer to their home and their loved ones,” said Guzman, whose parents and two brothers still live in Mexico City.

“Day of the Dead,” also known as “All Souls’ Day,” started some 3,000 years ago and continues throughout Mexico and Latin American communities, including in the United States.

The holiday focuses on gatherings, where family and friends pray for and remember loved ones who have died by building altars using items like sugar skulls and marigolds. It’s observed the last days of October and the first days of November.

Here are a few local celebrations that honor “El Dia de los Muertos” with music, art, dance and more.