Ajijic’s new wake chapel, located to the east of the town, at the intersection of Juan Alvarez and Guadalupe Victoria streets, behind the Bugambilias plaza.

Sofía Medeles.- Four months after being completed the new wake chapel located in the Ajijic delegation is not being used.

The chapel, which cost more than two million pesos (about US$110,000), has only been used once, as of the closing of this edition. Semanario Laguna interviewed 18 people, who explained why they believe the chapel is ignored.

The interviewees, although they disagreed on the usefulness or lack thereof of the wake, agreed that they believe it is not used because of two things: the customs of the people and the location of the chapel, which, they agree, should have been done in a really central space.

In a tour made by Semanario Laguna, it was possible to observe from the outside that the roof shows water stains.

«Everything was wrong with that project. To begin with, it was not something necessary, several of us thought that there were other priorities. And well, they delivered it half done, without any furniture. It is also in a distant location for many, it is not central at all, considering that the cemetery is on the other side of the town, and the parish is also far away. Besides, it is hardly going to be used, mainly because it is customary to use our own house for the vigil,» commented Lourdes, a resident of Ajijic.

Others disavowed the whole project, asserting that, even if it were not there, things would remain the same in the town. «Nobody knows why they built it, it wasn’t necessary in Ajijic, and many don’t even know about it. In town we all know each other, so for us, it is tradition to hold prayer vigils in our houses. If the houses are small, we support each other among neighbors, or we ask permission to close the street for a prayer vigil, so it doesn’t seem strange to me that the chapel has only been used once,» said Sara, another resident of the town.

The passage of time and the lack of use has been noticeable on the façade, with the plants in the planter sprouting from their place.

«It must be of some use, and if there are people who need it at any given moment, of course it can meet their need. If today it remains unused after only one use, it is because wakes are done by everyone at home. It is a small town, and there are new things that take time for people to get used to using them. For example, there is the bicycle lane, which everyone rejected when it was announced, and many people we know use it today, both to walk and to ride their bicycles safely», added Ángel. 

The acting head of the delegation, Maximiliano Macías Arceo, agreed with those interviewed, saying  that in the town it is a habit to watch over and pray for the deceased in the homes of their relatives and that, although it has been offered on multiple occasions, people have preferred places closer to their homes. 

He also commented that in the last few weeks the chapel has required minor repairs due to humidity and that this administration plans to furnish it.

Finally, he shared with the community that the chapel is available for anyone who wants to use it free of charge, they only have to contact the delegation to pick up the keys. The telephone number of the delegation is: 376 766 1760.

The wake chapel of Ajijic was built during the administration of Moisés Alejandro Anaya Aguilar (2018-2021) at a cost of 2,300,509.48 pesos (about US$110,300), financed by the Common Competitive Fund for Infrastructure (FOCOSI), as well as from the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Public Works (SIOP). 

Its construction began in January 2021, and although it was announced that it would take eight weeks to complete, the chapel was handed over to the then Ajijic delegate Juan Ramón Flores in September of that same year, although without furniture. The chapel was used for the first time at the beginning of the new administration, headed by Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel.

Translated by Kerry Watson