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Fall Beloved Community Gathering connects attendees through love and loss

Author: Cidni Sanders

Smiling woman with long, wavy gray hair in a gray zip-up sweater gestures with her hands, holding a green pen. She sits at a table with small framed photos, with other attendees blurred in the background.

Smiling woman with long, wavy gray hair in a gray zip-up sweater gestures with her hands, holding a green pen. She sits at a table with small framed photos, with other attendees blurred in the background.
The Fall Beloved Community Gathering was an afternoon of connection and gratitude in recognition of Día de los Muertos.

“Warm sad,” is how she described it.

The phrase may have been new for nearly everyone at the Oct. 28 Fall Beloved Community Gathering, but the concept was also immediately familiar.

“It is that cozy, comforting kind of sorrow where pain is wrapped in the gentle joy of remembrance,” said April Garcia, keynote speaker, who spoke of her maternal grandmother Momo. “The ache remains, but it glows. It is the crying emoji, but the one that is smiling.”

The theme for the gathering, sponsored by Notre Dame Human Resources and the Office of Belonging, Engagement, and Mission, was remembrance—in recognition of Día de los Muertos. The holiday presented a natural opportunity for faculty and staff to reflect on their upbringing and experiences while colleagues listened, learned, and discovered common values and themes. Prior to the event, participants submitted photos of their departed loved ones that were printed and displayed in frames at each table’s ofrenda, or altar, along with mementos connected to their lives.

A round table with a white tablecloth and a vibrant Día de los Muertos runner featuring colorful sugar skulls and flowers. On it are three framed photos (two people, a family, a cat), a red rosary, an unlit yellow candle, and other mementos.
Keynote speaker April Garcia's ofrenda included mementos belonging to her maternal grandmother, Momo, and memories of others who loved her into being.

“By constructing the ofrenda, families intentionally invite the spirit of the departed to join the living once again. It’s a heartfelt gesture that says: your love still matters here; your story still shapes us,” said Garcia. Of Momo, she recalled, “Her quiet actions always spoke volumes, shaping my identity in ways words never could. She had the most gentle laugh and sweet smile…and I would give anything for the chance to touch her soft hands right now.”

Each table was then invited to dive into its own conversation, guided by the following questions:

  • Who are you remembering today, and what are some of the ways this person loved you into being?

  • What did you call them—any nicknames or terms of endearment?

  • If you were to describe their character or spirit, what words come to mind?

  • What was their laughter like or their way of bringing joy into a room?

  • Is there a story that captures who they were for you?

  • What gifts or lessons from them do you still carry in your life today?

As stories were shared, tears and laughter permeated the room. Some had lost parents this year; some more than a decade ago. Others detailed the impact of a lifelong friend or beloved pet. Table mates leaned in closer to take in what was being said, searched their bags for tissues to pass around, and consoled those who needed extra support.

They embraced the “warm sad” feelings, and out of the individual grief and gratitude emerged a collective empathy and understanding. By connecting with their memories, faculty and staff were able to form stronger connections with one another.

“I didn’t want to come at first. I didn’t want to remember,” said Jenipher Akuku Huisman, enrollment program director at the Graduate School. “But I’m glad I did.”

Originally published by Cidni Sanders at beam.nd.edu on November 10, 2025.