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 …
Comonfort’s Hidden Messages
Recently I was invited to tour Comonfort’s churches by the state’s Director of Tourism interested in forming a state-wide tourism effort of the indigenous influence on our churches. Having had my students from nearby Escobedo perform in Comonfort I’ve seen the churches but not through this man’s eyes so …
Fight or Flee?
So I’ve been reading Sr. Wendy books on art lately and came across a cool painting of Joseph and Mary’s trip into Egypt to escape King Herod’s murderous rampage of all the boys under two. Sr. Wendy describes their faces as “ashamed because, ultimately, Joseph’s behavior was a cowardly …
Everyone Loves Lucy!
Last Thanksgiving I wanted to make a cake for my Spanish teacher modeled after Lucy Ricardo from the 1950’s I Love Lucy show because my teacher wore a black polka dotted dress similar to one on the show. A fellow student, and Canadian pal, came with me …
La Alborada: Celebrating our Namesake
By Joaquin Sierra Rangel The Saturday before the feast of St. Michael the Archangel La Alborada has been carried out for nearly 100 years, since 1924. The long history involves our factory, railroad and nuns alongside stars, music and gunpowder. The factory opened in 1902 …
Racist Million Dollar Souvenirs
For over a century the most popular souvenirs from Mexico were a series of paintings depicting racially mixed families and how they were genetically formed among the Spaniards, indigenous and Africans. This compelling and unique pictorial genre is known as caste (or casta) paintings created …
The Model for Mexican Masculinity
St. Joseph is mentioned only eight times in the New Testament. Prior to the late medieval period, Church doctrine rarely noticed him. However, in 1555 this humble carpenter, Mary’s husband and foster father of Jesus, was made patron of the conquest and conversion of Mexico forever influencing favored Mexican …
The Dancer in the Kitchen
This week was the feast day of St. Paschal Baylon, a lad featured in most every San Miguel de Allende restaurant and kitchen that during the 18th century was a major cause for celebration for those that worked in orchards. Paschal (also known as Pasqual, Pascual and alike) tended …