the messenger

As an avowed taphophile, or tombstone tourist, I enjoy visiting cemeteries for their sense of history.  The older places with their variety of tombstones are the most interesting.  Cemetery art with its use of symbols reflects religious and cultural influences.  Angels are symbols of spirituality. They guard the tomb and are thought to be messengers between God and man.  The angel with clasped hands prays for safekeeping.  This statue is in the Trinidad Catholic Cemetery. Established in 1874, the graveyard has many examples of Victorian symbolism.

Trinidad Catholic Cemetery
Trinidad, Colorado
6.20.2008