Most are familiar with devotion to the Baby Jesus at Christmas but fewer know about devotion to the Virgin Mary. Devotion to “little Mary” is strong here in San Miguel, and Mexico as a whole. On 6 January 1840, the Feast of the Three Kings, Sister Magdalena knelt …
MARY THE MASCOT
During the war for Independence from Spain the insurgents from San Miguel chose the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (that Fr. Hidalgo plucked from Atotonilco) to show how God’s mother was on their side. Did you know the Spanish side had their own Mary supporting them too? …
OUR LADY OF THE THREE HAIL MARYS
On August 17th the Virgin of the Three Hail Marys is a popular San Miguel festival continuing to celebrate Mary’s ascent into Heaven. It is said that in 1960 Father Benjamin Grimaldi Balderas built the chapel to the right of the main altar in the Templo …
ASSUMPTION OF MARY INTO HEAVEN, THE THREE FACES OF MARY
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven, informally known as The Assumption, was the Virgin Mary ascending into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. The Assumption is Mary’s heavenly birthday. Her acceptance into the glory of Heaven is seen as the symbol of the promise made by Jesus to …
MARY’S PARENTS
Saint Ann (Ana, Anna, Hannah or Anne) was the mother of Mary and grandmother to Jesus. Her husband was Joachim (Joaquin). Their combined feast day is July 26th. Normally statues of Mary and Joseph flank an altar. However, in the Santa Anna church in San …
OUR LADY OF LIGHT SHINES BRIGHT
The still popular image of the Virgin of the Light began in 1722 Sicily. The painting depicts the Virgin holding a man avoiding his falling into the jaws of Leviathan (an evil sea monster from the Old Testament who swallows men’s souls into the Sea of Chaos) …
LAS POSADAS, MARY AND JOSEPH ARRIVE IN TOWN
The nine nights of the posadas—which means “inn”—represent the nine day journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem from December 16th until Christmas Eve. Throughout town, each night, a boy dressed as Joseph a young girl dressed as Mary (usually riding donkey) and an …
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, CELEBRATING MARY’S BEGINNINGS
December 8th marks one of the most widely misunderstood concepts of Catholicism. It is even misunderstood by many practicing Catholics. The Immaculate Conception is when St. Ann became pregnant with the Blessed Mother, Mary. It is not when Mary became pregnant with Jesus. The easy way to remember …
In the Name of…
For my parents choosing baby names was made fairly easy by the Church. Their first daughter was born in a Marian year (a year the Pope devotes to Mary) so she, like most of the girls in her Catholic school classes, was named Mary. The …
The Sea Monsters of San Miguel
Mary, in art, is typically shown as being contemplative, reflective, even sad, but, for me, her best image is Mary of the Light, or Maria de la Luz. There she is aggressive and assertive. She is widely celebrated as such this time of year. Back …