Monday, December 14, 2009

La Virgen de Guadalupe

The alarm interrupted my sleep at 4:15am so that I could dress quickly and begin the walk under the stars at 4:30am. It was Tuesday, eight days into the daily masses at the Sanctuary to honor la Virgen Guadalupe. With a slight chill pulsing through me and the crowing chickens serenading me, I spiraled my way to the Sanctuary that was shining on top of the hill.

I hustled to be able to attend the first of the four masses of the day at 5am, since it was supposedly the most attended. Since I only met a handful of people on my pilgrimage, I thought for sure that I would be sitting at the church with at most ten other people crazy enough to wake up in the middle of the night to hear mass.

So you can image my surprise when I finally arrived at the Sanctuary only to discover that I would have to stand outside of the church with the 20 or 30 other people who did not fit into the church. I stood, kneeled and listened along with an abuela, a group of young people in their school uniforms and a father who was trying to keep his daughters from giggling. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I appreciated the Christmas colored decorations, which conveniently are the same colors as Mexico’s flag. Near the end of mass as we passed the peace, I snuck a look inside the brightly lit church that was filled with flowers of all colors and illuminated by hundreds of candles.

As the sun began to rise scattering the stars, I joined the crowd walking down the hill to town, greeting the believers who were walking the opposite direction to attend the 6am mass. I was amazed at the belief that would require this dedication.

The masses began on December 1, with four sometimes five daily masses, two in the morning at 5am and 6am and two in the evening at 5pm and 6pm. The masses continued until December 12, the day la Virgen de Guadalupe first appeared to Juan Diego in the mid 1500s. There is now a Basilica on the sight where she first appeared near Mexico City where thousands make annual pilgrimages to honor her.

As I was told the story of the Virgin’s appearance by my “host” family, I was awed by the conviction that they held, as I am far from venerating Saints and the Virgin. Pepe assured me that numerous studies and tests were done by scientists that verify the apparition. I couldn’t help being amused by the need to verify through science what is inherently intangible and elusive – faith.

About ten years ago, the Virgin reappeared in Guerrero and was seen in New York and throughout the world by believers. Pepe, who claims profound belief, was not fortunate enough to see her; however, Liz and Carmen both assured me that they saw her through the rainbow that arced over Olinalá. Carmen told of the raindrops that fell to the ground as pearls, pearls of the Virgin.

The days leading up to the 12th were filled with processions culminating in a Friday evening of the typical fiesta activities – fireworks, food and music. I retraced my steps of Tuesday morning, except on Friday night I was joined by hundreds on the journey. The Sanctuary had become a fair-like spectacle. The mariachi music from the radio competed with the five man brass band that played out of tune. The people sat at the tables eating the pizza, tacos and numerous other less than healthy snack options. People filtered in and out of the church individually honoring la Virgen, but the main event was the castillo of fireworks.

As the first of the lower fireworks showered on the people directly below the large fireworks structure, I was reminded of my hometown Scottdale. I’m positive that the firefighters of the Scottdale Volunteer Fire Department would feel at home with the excitement of the sparks nearly setting the tarps of the food vendors on fire, climbing the metal structure to light the spiraling figures, and the last firework structure launching from the top of the structure with the hope that it burns out before it falls to the ground.

With the festivities of the evening behind them, Olinalá entered the 12th, Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, in a spirit of veneration. The hourly masses began at 5am, with the last mass at 1:00 that would honor the runners who had relayed from the Basilica in DF to Olinalá. At 3:30pm, the faithful carried the Santita from the Sanctuary to the church in the Zocalo to end the twelve day festivities.

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