La Virgen de Guadalupe

Here is my photo tribute to all the beautiful shrines to the Virgen de Guadalupe in San Miguel.  Unlike in the U.S. shrines are everywhere, not just in iglesias, but also in shopping markets, along the streets in little niches, in many buses and taxis. 

Also we found shrines at the bullring and in underground in the mines. And, of course, in houses.

Shrine at the Bullring

I learned the history of the Virgen de Guadalupe recently and it goes like this. Her image appeared to the peasant Juan Diego in 1531. She requested him to gather roses from a site in Mexico city. He complied and gathered  roses in his simple cloak. When Juan Diego opened his cloak in the presence of the Bishop with whom he shared his miraculous story, the virgen’s image was imprinted there. A church was built on the site and the cloak is kept there, where it is venerated by millions of pilgrims. The Virgen is Mexico’s most popular religion symbol. She combines the catholic faith with prehispanic goddess religious practices. The revolution, bringing freedom from Spain, was initiated under the banner of the Virgen.

Religion here is everywhere in the air and environment rather than a thing you just do in a separate place once a week. It feels more genuine somehow, though maybe that’s just the newness of it for me. Anyhow, I prefer these types of shrines to the images of the crucified and suffering Jesus that is prevalent inside the iglesias.

Shrine in the Mine