St. Martha was the sister of Mary and Lazarus who pleaded with Jesus to bring her brother back to life. Jesus did so, and folk beliefs often assign her the power of granting miraculous cures. In San Xosé de Ribarteme, in the province of Pontevedra in Galicia, Spain, ofrecidos—people who have made a vow to St. Martha—lie in open coffins during a procession on St. Martha’s feast day. Usually, they or a member of their family has recently been cured by St. Martha’s intervention. Most wear coarse net tunics called mortajas (shrouds) to indicate that they represent the “living dead.” Discuss