No doubt, tomorrow I will be awakened, long before the crack of dawn, by the cracks and pops of cohetes (rockets — all bang no bling) and the seemingly non-stop clangs and bongs emanating from the bell towers of the countless churches that surround me in Oaxaca city’s historic district. And, I’m sure, I will hear the sounds of a procession — December 8 is the feast day of the Virgin of Juquila (La Virgen de Juquila).
Flatbed truck on Constitución in Oaxaca city, Dec. 6, 2012.
According to legend, in 1633, when a fire burned the small Chatino village of Amialtepec to the ground, a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was rescued amidst the ashes. She was undamaged, save for her light skin color, which was permanently darkened by the smoke, causing her to more closely resemble the Chatino people, who live in this remote mountainous region. Local priests declared her survival a miracle and she has been venerated ever since and her image appears throughout Oaxaca.
Image of La Virgen de Juquila along highway 175.
In 1776, the Bishop had a new temple built for La Virgen de Juquila in the nearby, but larger, village of Santa Catarina Juquila. Today, pilgrims continue to come, not just on her feast day, often making the arduous journey up into the mountains by bicycle or even on foot. They go to La Capilla del Pedimento in Amialtepec to fashion images from its clay soil — replicas of wished for items (cars, houses, healed body parts, etc.) to lay at her feet.
Side of a building in residential neighborhood of Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca
According to this morning’s Noticias, the Archbishop of Antequera Oaxaca has called upon Catholics, as part of tomorrow’s feast day, to pray for reconciliation and peace in Oaxaca. That’s a tall order. The miracle of her survival has given La Virgen de Juquila the power to bestow miracles — such is the faith of her believers. We shall see…
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Interesting piece of history. I have seen your two last images, but I had no idea of the story behind them.
I hope it prepared you for yesterday’s early morning sounds. 😉
I had no idea that this Feast Day existed. Thank you for your beautifully written commentary on its history.
Happy to oblige! And, muchisimas gracias for reading my blog and your kind words — they are much appreciated.
Dec 8 is also the feast of the Immaculate Conception, in the western Catholic church. I wonder if this is an example of syncretism…
From an article in today’s, “Hoy empezamos las fiestas con la advocación de la inmaculada Virgen María, que la conocemos como nuestra Virgen de Juquila”, dijo el padre del santuario Jacinto López Montaño, durante la misa de las 6 horas.”
[…] First in line, on December 8, for chiming church bells, processions, and fireworks was the Virgen de Juquila and third will be Oaxaca’s patron saint, the Virgen de la Soledad on Dec. 18. However, in […]