#1 Rated San Miguel Tour Guide & Author
On September 8 both Mary’s birthday and the feast of Our Lady of Loreto are celebrated popularly with around the town processions, music and parties at two churches on the same square. February 2 is another big day celebrated for multiple reasons. The following is a primer of the …
St. Louis (San Luis Rey) is a unique saint being only French royalty to make the cut to sainthood. Poor cake-eating Marie Antionette didn’t even come close. I’ve pondered for some time why St. Louis has multiple cities, churches and babies of both genders named for him …
Saint Catherine Labouré was a French nun in the mid 1800’s who relayed the request from the Virgin Mary to create the Miraculous Medal. The Miraculous Medal is an exceedingly popular image dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, worn by millions, both Roman Catholics and other denominations, including many in …
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 …
St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin is the humble indigenous man the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to starting December 9, 1531. It was Juan Diego’s cloak (tilma) that the image of Mary is imprinted on and he who is seen next to her in most every image.In 2002 Juan …
The Virgin of Guadalupe is the tale of humble farmer, Juan Diego, who stumbles upon the Virgin Mary in 1531, shortly after the arrival of the Spanish, near present day Mexico City. Juan Diego informs the local bishop who does not believe him. The following day …
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 Virgin of San Juan de Lagos’ pilgrimage is the largest in the western hemisphere. Some three million or more pilgrims from across Mexico will walk for many days, sleeping in the open, to converge on the small town of San Juan de los Lagos, in the …
Beginning at midnight in a procession of thousands of people, this life-sized figure of the beaten and bloody Christ is carried from Atotonilco to San Miguel on the shoulders of the faithful. The statue is very old and molded from traditional Chichimeca materials—corn stalks, corn starch and …
The Friday before Good Friday is for Our Lady of Sorrows. It acknowledges Mary’s seven sorrows stretching from Jesus’ presentation at the temple and culminate in her pain at losing her only child. Altars throughout town contain symbolic elements of mourning such as sour oranges, chamomile, wheat and purple …