Viernes Santo | View From Casita Colibrí

Posts Tagged ‘Viernes Santo’

Woman, behold your son

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Easter, Estaciones de la Cruz, Good Friday, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, ritual procession, Semana Santa, Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, Viernes Santo on March 30, 2013| 2 Comments »

And so Viernes Santo (Good Friday) began…

Mass said, a Vía Crucis (Stations of the Cross) procession through the streets of my neighborhood.

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Belief and believers

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Holidays, Religion, tagged Bible, Christianity, culture, Good Friday, Jesus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photo, photographs, Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Procesión del Silencio, Procession of Silence, religion, ritual procession, Viernes Santo, Virgin Mary on April 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The back of the official 26th anniversary t-shirt for the Good Friday, Procesión del Silencio, doesn’t come close to telling the tale.

Images of belief add texture to the ritual procession of mourners grieving the crucifixion and death of Jesus, as related in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

But it’s the eyes of believers…

that gives the narrative a silent voice.

And, grieving mothers everywhere understand.

No matter where one lands on the belief continuum, it’s hard not to be moved.

(ps) For lots more terrific photos, take a look at Chris’s posting, The Procession of Silence.

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Waiting in the wings…

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Holidays, tagged Christianity, culture, Good Friday, Mexico, Oaxaca, photo, photographs, Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Procesión del Silencio, Procession of Silence, religion, Viernes Santo on April 7, 2012| 6 Comments »

In front of Preciosa Sangre de Cristo Templo on Viernes Santo (Good Friday), waiting for the Procesión del Silencio (Procession of Silence) to set off up the Álcala, down Garcia Vigil, and back up the Álcala to Sangre de Cristo.

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What’s with the hoods?

Posted in Celebrations, Holidays, tagged Cofradía, Confraternity, Procesión del Silencio, Viernes Santo on April 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

More than one norte americano has asked, “What’s up with the KKK-like hoods?” Ahh… a reference question for the librarian!

They date back to 15th or 16th century Europe. Members of lay religious charitable organizations (cofradías) would don the masks and hoods to guarantee anonymity and promote humility in their service. The Spanish brought the tradition to Mexico.

References:

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Procesión del Silencio, Oaxaca 2011

Posted in Celebrations, Holidays, tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, Procession of Silence, Semana Santa, video, Viernes Santo on April 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The Procesión del Silencio departed from the Iglesia de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo and proceeded up the Alcalá to Gómez Farias, where it turned left and left again and down García Vigil to Independencia and then back up the Alcalá. Once the procession began, fellow blogger Chris (Oaxaca-The Year After) and I left the masses on the Alcalá and positioned ourselves on a wall overlooking García Vigil, for an unobstructed view.

Out of respect for what is being commemorated, tradition calls for participants and spectators to remain silent, save for the solemn drum beat and haunting sounds of a chirimia that herald the procession’s arrival and continue to play as the faithful from various neighborhoods and churches carry banners, crosses, and images of the crucified Jesus and his grieving mother through the streets of the city.