The inaugural mass of the Virgin of Guadalupe will be celebrated during the December 12 opening
The neighbors of the Lourdes neighborhood will see the doors of their chapel open to the public for the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Photo Jazmín Stengel.
Jazmín Stengel – After being closed to the public for more than three years and after six months of restoration work, the Chapel of Lourdes will finally open its doors to the public to commemorate the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12, as was done in 1940.
To date, more than 500,000 pesos (almost $24,000 USD) have been invested in the restoration work, according to the civil engineer, Enrique Petersen. These resources come from what the neighbors have been able to raise through donations, most of the time in material.
«Unlike earlier, they now prefer anonymous donations», commented Alejandra Martinez, daughter of Tere and Jose (Pepe) Martinez, neighbors of the community and treasurers of this collection. She added that many Chapalenses and foreigners have contributed their share, including Enrique Petersen who undertook the job of directing the work without charging a peso.
The task has not been easy, since the labor expenses and some materials not donated tallied up to 70 thousand pesos one month, with even more expenses. The average monthly expenses remained at 20 thousand pesos, which has covered the payroll of four stonemasons.
The steady collection of resources has been maintained thanks to fairs, raffles, sales, and the monthly contributions of more than 200 pesos, which the neighbors of the neighborhood pledged to contribute.
Petersen said that when he began the plans for the restoration of the exterior, he discovered the poor condition of the foundation, and that part of the only tower was cracked.
«We started by fixing the base of the chapel and reinforcing its walls with metal and concrete, we removed the outside balcony that was pushing out one of the walls and repaired the cracks,» said the engineer, who added: «These details and water leaks from the hill impacted the infrastructure severely enough to close it in September 2019, almost 80 years after its inauguration,» he concluded.
At the end of the first stage of restoration, only cosmetic and finishing details such as painting, carpentry and gardening are pending, for which more budget is needed. However, the committee in charge, together with engineer Petersen, decided to reopen the chapel so that the community can see what has been achieved.
The chapel was built in 1940 by Guillermo González Hermosillo y Brizuela, who led the cooperation between the neighbors of Colonia Francesa and the Ixtle neighborhood to make possible the construction of the sanctuary.
Now it is the turn for the second generation of neighbors, the heirs of the luxurious country houses in Colonia Francesa and the inhabitants of the renowned neighborhood of Lourdes in Chapala, named in honor of their patron saint. These neighbors continue the restoration of the shrine week after week by selling churros, fritters, and sweets outside after mass, and others by making extravagant anonymous donations.
The fundraising work continues to help fund the remaining restoration work, and the next fair is already planned to be held on November 28 outside of the Parish of San Francisco de Asis. Another fair is planned for December 5 outside of the Chapel of Lourdes.
Translated by Kerry Watson.
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