Dressing the Divine

Processional Figure of Virgin Mary, Merida, MX

Many believers in the Latin American world have a very personal and intimate relationship with their religious images.  Their interactions with them are complex and In many ways they are treated more like people than statues.  This is true for the large images found in churches, as well as the smaller devotional figures found in home altars, such as the Divino Niño in the photo below. This Divino Niño, which portrays Jesus as a young child, is very popular.

Divino Niño, Chiapas, Mexico  

Divino Niño, Xquerol, Quintana Roo, MX

Images of the Divine Child are available for purchase and the clothing is sold separately.

Figures of Divino Niño, Quito, Ecuador

Clothing for Divino Niño, Quito, Ecuador

In may places, people sew the clothing for the images by themselves, as a gift for the image, and it is an honor to have an important religious statue wear your clothing; some religious images have extensive wardrobes that are rotated. In the more indigenous churches of Chiapas statues sometimes wear many of the clothes gifted to them at the same time, resulting in statues completely swaddled in many layers of clothing.  

Magdalenas Aldama, Chiapas

The statue of La Conquistadora, located in her own chapel in Santa Fe New Mexico's St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, dates from 1625, a time when what is now  New Mexico, along with much of the southern US was still part of Mexico. To this day, Santa Fe's culture remains very Mexican.  Below are photos of La Conquistadora and a very small part of her extensive wardrobe.

Retablo of La Conquistadora, Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe, New Mexico

La Conquistadorra, October 2018, St. Francis Cathedral, Santa Fe,  New Mexico

La Conquistadora, July 2013, St. Francis Cathedral, Santa Fe New Mexico

La Conquistadora, July 2012, St. Francis Cathedral, Santa Fe, New Mexico

In Roman Catholicism, the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz) is very significant and the Cross itself, is venerated.  In Spain and in many places in the Latin American world, May 3 is the Feast of Santa Cruz.  In Mexico, this celebration has its roots in the early 16th century when the Spanish explorer Juan de Grijalva named the island of what is now Cozumel, Isla de la Santa Cruz.  Although throughout the world, crosses sometimes have a cloth draped over them, in the Mexican states of Quintana Roo, and Yucatan, crosses are often actually dressed in clothing.

Dressed Crosses, Xcabil, Quintana Roo

Crosses wearing huipils, Xcabil, Quintana Roo, MX

Cross wearing Huipil, Xcabil, Quintana Roo, MX

Maya Church Altar,  Quintana Roo MX

In Yucatan and, especially, Quintana Roo, the Cross has an additional kind of meaning
stemming from the time the 19th to early 20th century Caste War.  During this overthrow of the Spanish, the Maya redefined Christianity and the Cross in the Maya Cruzob movement. for themselves. You can read about this fascinating episode in Mexican history by following this link:     https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-talking-cross-la-cruz-parlante.html   The Maya Church and its adherents, the Cruzob, still exist in Quintana Roo and Yucatan, today.

Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Nicaragua

Good Friday Procession, Sutiaba, Leon Nicaragua

Nicaragua is typically not on the top of most peoples' lists to visit during Holy Week. That is a mistake because it has some of to have some of the most beautiful and dramatic observances in all of Latin America.  Here are just a few photos:

Holy Figures on Display, Granada Nicaragua

Procession of Carretas, Massaya, Nicaragua 

Procession, Granada Nicaragua

I invite you to experience the Nicaragua's unique Semana Santa in a series of posts that I have written.  Please click on each link to see the post.

Holy Wednesday, Nandaime Nicaragua:

Participant in Holy Wednesday event, Nandaime, Nicaragua

In Nandaime a small town, each week on Holy Wednesday the ancient ritual of Holy Week Flagellants is re-enacted with an interesting twist.  You can see this at:

https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2016/04/taking-hit-holy-wednesday-in-nandaime.html


Along the Road in Massaya, Nicaragua:

Transporting Processional Figure, Masaya, Nicaragua

Holy Week is a time when the sacred dimension more closely intermingles with that of everyday life in fascinating ways:

https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2016/06/sacred-meets-profane-holy-wednesday-in.html


The Huertos of Nicaragua:

Huerto, Diria Massaya, Nicaragua

Constructing a Huerto, Diria Massaya, Nicaragua

The huertas (translation- orchards), constructed during Holy Week in both Nicaragua and Guatemala are gorgeous creations using the fruits of the earth.
https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-huertos-of-guatemala-and-nicaragua.html

Sutiaba's Sawdust Carpets:

Sawdust Carpet under Construction, Sutiaba barrio, Leon Nicaragua

Like their cousins, the famed sawdust carpets of Antigua Guatemala, those of the Sutiaba barrio in Leon, Nicaragua are magnificent, filled with religious passion, but constructed in a very different way.
https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2017/05/art-as-sacrifice-sawdust-carpets-of.html

Via Crucis Aquatic:

Via Crucis Aquatic, Lake Nicaragua, Granada, Nicaragua

The absolutely most unique Holy Week event in all of Latin America is Granada's Via Crucis Aquatic, a stations of the cross done on boats.
https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2018/04/via-crucis-aquatic-granada-nicaragua.html


The Music of Holy Week:

Holy Week Procession, Granada, Nicaragua

Sound is a part of Holy Week processions, in particular, the music which is especially composed for these events.
https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-music-of-holy-week-processions.html

Yucatán Gold: Churches of Halachó, Yucatán and Sabancuy, Campeche

Chapel, San Mateo Peto Yucatan

Driving across the Yucatán Peninsula you will pass a church in nearly every town.  Many have no identifying signs, such as the small chapel above in San Mateo, a hamlet which lies about halfway in-between Merida and Campeche.  One common denominator is that many of them are painted the bright yellow color that has come to be known as Yucatán Gold.

Sources seem to agree that Maya beliefs are the main reason for the pervasive use of yellow. This color was associated with the Sun God as well as being symbolic of corn, a very important component of Maya mythology and believed to be the substance out of which human beings were made. There could be other, pragmatic, factors involved such as ready availability of the pigments that make yellow paint, but this has not written about.

Santiago Apôstol, Halachô, Yucatan and Sagrada Corazón de Jesus, Sabancuy Campeche and are both examples of rural Yucatan peninsula church architecture, far more simple than the baroque design found in urban centers.

Santiago Apóstol, Halachó Yucátan:

Santiago Apôstol, Halachô, Yucatan

Santiago Apôstol, Halachô, Yucatan

This church has roots that date back to 1635 when a small chapel was built on the site that it now occupies. The actual church was begun in the late 17th to early 18th century. One of its bells bears the date 1728 and the baptismal font is dated 1739.  Santiago Apostól Church suffered some damage during the fighting of the revolutionary movement of 1915.

Church Front View, Santiago Apóstol, Halachó, Yucatan

Main Altar dedicated to the apostle, St. James (Santiago), Santiago Apóstol, Halachó, Yucatan

Back View, Santiago Apóstol, Halachó, Yucatan

The church is fairly large and there are a number of side altars and a chapel for adoration of the Sacrament.

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Santiago Apóstol, Halachó, Yucatan

Altar of the Blessed Sacrament, Santiago Apóstol,  Halachó, Yucatan

Guadalupe Altar,  Santiago Apóstol, Halachó, Yucatan

Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy Campeche:

Front Façade, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy, Campeche

Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy, Campeche

 Sagrada Corazon was built piecemeal over a period time dating back about 200 years. The main hall was built in the 1800's, one tower was built in 1952 and the other in 1994.  In modern times, at one point, it was in a deteriorated  condition, with decaying walls and roof.  Subsequently it has been restored and is now in good condition.

Church Interior, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus,  Sabamcuy. Campeche

Front Altar, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy, Campeche

View toward rear of Church, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy, Campeche

The deteriorated roof was replaced with one of corrugated metal.

Corrugated Metal Roof, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy, Campeche

The Divino Niño Jesus, a common devotion in Mexico and throughout Latin America, stems from devotion to the Christ Child.  The statue of the Divino Niño is that of a young child, although the age portrayed can differ slightly. 

Side Chapel of Divino Niño Jesus, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy, Campeche

Images of the Trinity in Latin American are unique because they give physical form to what elsewhere is an abstract theological concept.  Here, the Father and the Son are portrayed sitting on a cloud with the Holy Spirit (partly hidden by the light) descending in the form of a bird.

Side Chapel of Holy Trinity, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus,  Sabancuy,  Campeche

In all Roman Catholic churches, the consecrated bread, the Blessed Sacrament, is kept in a special container.  Sometimes this container has it's own chapel, as below, where worshippers can come and pray in the presence of this sacrament.  It is considered among the holiest areas of a church, because, according to some theological perspectives, Christ is  actually physically present in the consecrated bread.

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Sagrada Corazon de Jesus, Sabancuy, Campeche

The states of Yucatan and Campeche both have many churches that exemplify, the elaborate, baroque architecture of the Colonial period in Mexico,  There are also many, many smaller churches that dot the landscape displaying vernacular, local characteristics that are equally as interesting as their urban cousins. 

Colorado's Oldest Church: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Conejos, CO

Colorado is more than the Rockies and ski hills.  Going south, as you get closer to northern New Mexico, there is more and more of the Spanish influence that reflects the area's Mexican heritage. Until it was conceded to the United States by Mexico at the end of the Mexican American War in 1848, Colorado was a part of Mexico.  The first permanent settlement in Colorado's San Luis Valley, where present-day Conejos is situated, was in 1850 and the first Mass in Colorado was held in Conejos in 1857.

History of the Church:
The early settlers of the Conejos area were Mexicans. In 1856 they dedicated a church to the Virgin of Guadalupe on a spot near present-day Conejos.  After the Conejos river flooded in 1857, Bishop Lamy, first Bishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, advised that the church be moved south of the river on the same spot that the current-day church stands. The finished church was dedicated in 1863.  In 1878 the decision was made to improve the church façade and add two towers.  Originally administered by Jesuits, in 1920 jurisdiction was transferred to the Theatine order.

On Ash Wednesday 1926 the church was destroyed by a fire and the decision was made to rebuild it on the same spot. The old towers were left as an historical monument, but later taken down because of the hazards these unstable structures presented.  Ninety years after the first fire, in 2016 there was yet another fire in the church; this one was less destructive.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

Façade Detail, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

The Present Building:
The architect for the 1927 building is not known.  When the decision was made to raze the towers in 1948, John K. Monroe Sr. of Lakewood Colorado was brought in as the designer of the new façade. The resulting building was more elaborate than the other simpler churches in the area and researcher Tom Simmons of Front Range Research Associates,  in Denver believes that Monroe was striving for a building in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with the 1794 Albuquerque Church being a possible influence.

The Interior:

View toward Front Altar, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

View toward Choir Loft and Back of Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

Front Altar, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Conejos, CO

The church has a simple interior with a single aisle and a more-or-less baroque main altar, that I believe was either replaced or restored after the 2016 fire. I had visited the church a few years prior to this and there have been interior changes since this fire. 

Small Altar to right of front altar, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

The most remarkable features of the church are its stained glass windows, which Tom Simmons points out are unexpected since Conejos is in a relatively poor area of Colorado. 
These beautiful windows were created by Frank Watkins of Denver for the 1927 building and reflect the artistic style of the era. Watkins Stained Glass Studios, operating since 1868, still are in production.

Stained-Glass Windows, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

Stained-Glass Windows, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos CO

Stained-Glass Window, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

Stained-Glass Window, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

 Stained-Glass Window, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

Stained-Glass Window, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO

Window Detail, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Conejos, CO

Interestingly, in Mexican Churches, there is an occasional Byzantine Icon.  The precise origin of the icon in the Conejos church is not know, but please click this link to my article for more information about these icons in Mexican Churches https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2016/07/east-meets-west-greek-icon-in-mexican.html

Byzantine-style Icon, Our Lady of Conejos Church, Conejos, CO

Visiting the Conejos Church:
Conejos is a 4 1/2 hour drive from Denver, so a visit there is better combined with other activities in the area.   Conejos is less than 3 hours from Santa Fe, NM, so visiting this historical gem of a church en route to New Mexico is one (and my) strategy.   If you happen to be in Aspen area in the summer or fall, there is a fast back route over Independence Pass that gets you to Conejos in under 4 hours and from there onto Santa Fe, about 21/2 hours.

Thanks go to Tom Simmons of Front Range Research Associates, providing me with background information for this post.