This catholic conception is tied to the Catholic institution and church,
and the priest's role working on behalf of the deceased. The church burials
were the rule then, and there was a rich and interesting logic to its
functioning. The prominent men and women of society who were deep believers
and good Christians, according to their place in the social pyramid were
buried inside the church, close to the altar, these was done because it was
then believed that the soul could ascend the Heavenly kingdom easily. That's
why, under the Colonial churches there are numerous archaeological sites and
even some underground museums. After the vigil, the burial ceremony took
place, the body was shrouded with an ancient tunic illustrating the order to
which belonged and buried underground the church, one of the tiles in the
floor was lifted, and then placed back into the original scheme. There were
no marks or signs that indicated the location. However the family, present
at the moment of burial, knew exactly where it was and usually, chose to sat
on the nearby benches during mass.