The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a liturgical feast celebrating when Mary’s parents, Joachim and Ann decide to consecrate her to God, and bring her, at the age of three years, to the temple in Jerusalem. It was a highly unusual act for a girl at that time. The baby Mary statues that are …
ST. CECILIA’S MUSIC THRIVES
o celebrate the feast of St. Cecilia, local musicians play all types of music in church of St. Felipe de Nero (the Oratorio) the afternoon of November 22nd. Cecilia is one of the Church’s earliest saints and is the patroness of musicians. Consequently, in art, she is …
ST. MARTIN, MEXICO’S COWBOY SAINT
You may notice a recent influx of camera carrying cowboys and cowgirls passing through the jardin on their horses. Chances are, they are going to, or coming from, a festival for Saint Martin of Tours (France), or San Martin Caballero as he is known locally. …
SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES, PATRON OF MEXICO AND MULATTOS
Martin de Porres is the patron saint of Mexico, mixed-race people and all those seeking interracial harmony. Born in Lima in 1579 he was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman, Don Juan de Porres, and Ana Velázquez, a freed slave of African and/or possibly indigenous descent. …
ALL SOUL’S AND SAINT’S DAY RESPECTING THE DECEASED
Before the coming of the Catholic conquistadors, natives lived with death as a constant companion. The Chichimecas believed the spirits of the dead remained among the living to be acknowledged through song, dance, and food. The cult of ancestor worship was deeply rooted in Mesoamerica. …
HALLOWEEN, CELTIC CELEBRATIONS INCH INTO SMA
Despite the wonderful traditions of Days of the Dead, Mexican children have adopted the concept of Halloween and Trick or Treat, the US’ premier pagan holiday. Expect to see kids running around with small plastic jack-o-lanterns and chiming “Halloween.” If you plan to be on the …
ST. JUDE, PATRON OF LOST CAUSES AND THE IMPOSSIBLE
Jude, also called Judas Thaddeus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and the son of one of Mary’s cousins. He is little mentioned in the bible yet is clearly distinguished from Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus prior to his crucifixion. In art he is shown with a flame …
OUR LADY OF GOOD HEALTH – A TASTE OF INDIA
The church, Nuestra Señora de La Salud (Our Lady of Good Health), dates back to the 18th century when it served as a chapel for the adjacent San Francisco de Sales College. The entrance to this church is crowned by a gigantic carved seashell. In the …
ST. TERESA OF AVILA – DOMINANT FIGURE IN MEXICAN CATHOLICISM
Teresa was born in Avila, Spain in 1515 and became the most dominant figure in Spanish religious culture. Her image figures in most every church in San Miguel de Allende. Teresa became a Carmelite nun and wrote extensively on finding God in everyday life and living in the present. …
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is October 7, the anniversary of the decisive victory of the Catholic fleet in 1571 at the Battle of Lepanto, defeating a Muslim fleet off western Greece. The battle was a decisive victory in keeping Europe largely Catholic. …