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 Atrium of the parish of San Francisco de Asís

Jazmín Stengel.- The dramatic presentation of the Passion of Christ, which last took place in 2019, will be staged again this year in the atrium of the parish of St. Francis of Asis on Good Friday, April 15, starting at 7pm. The usual tour through the streets of the parish of St. Francis of Assisi will follow.

Following the usual route through the main streets of the municipal capital, until reaching the Tepehua neighborhood, where the crucifixion will be represented as in previous years.

The program of the Holy Week celebrations begins on Palm Sunday, April 10 at 1:30pm and 8:00 pm, the blessing of the palms and the solemn mass will take place. On that day, parishioners are asked to wear red.

Holy Thursday, April 14, will begin with Lauds at 8am, and at 7pm the ‘Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper’. The ‘Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament’ by the children from 8pm to 9:00 pm; for the youth from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm; women from 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm; and men from 11:00 pm to 12:00 pm.

The Stations of the Cross will take place on Good Friday at the end of Lauds, starting at 9:00 am from the atrium of St. Francis of Asis Parish to the Chapel of Refuge as was previously customary. 

After the staging of the Passion of Christ, the traditional ‘Rosary of Condolence’ will take place at approximately 8:00 pm. Therefore, the priests calculate that ‘The March of Silence’ will begin its journey around 9:00 pm., according to the program of activities for Holy Week of the parish of St. Francis of Asis in Chapala.

The following day, Saturday, April 16, only Lauds will be held in the morning and the Eucharist of the ‘Easter Vigil’ will be at 9pm. The priests invite the parishioners to attend Holy Saturday dressed in festive attire and to bring to the mass the candles and images they wish to bless during the ceremony.

Finally, Easter will be celebrated in the Refugio Chapel with recreational activities, games and religious talks for the children given by the seminarians of the parish. On Monday, April 11, Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13, at 10am for kids and at 5pm for youth and adolescents.

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

The representation of the Stations of the Cross last took place in San Juan Cosalá in 2019. Photo: Miguel Cerna.

Alma Serrano(San Juan Cosalá).-  The pandemic continues to erode the traditions of San Juan Cosalá. For the third consecutive year, the delegation will not carry out the Passion of Christ. 

Covid-19 has interrupted the Passion since 2020. With the suspension, the support of the citizens was also diminished,”  Gabriel Chávez Rameño, one of the organizers, told Laguna.

«When the pandemic began, there was a lack of economic and human resources, it has been hard to get people to support it. Since the pandemic began we have not been able to organize the Stations of the Cross, but hopefully, next year it will be done.» 

The Passion of Christ had been carried out in San Juan Cosalá for 25 years, involving people of all ages and included locations such as the atrium of the parish, the streets Porfirio Díaz and Vicente Guerrero, as well as the  hillsides where the crucifixion was  re-enacted,  which are now in the process of urbanization. 

«They started to farm in areas where the Stations of the Cross were taking place, there is almost no economic support in town and we did not know in advance if due to Covid it was going to be viable. So a few months ago we decided that it was best to let it pass until next year, and see if there are people who want to get involved and commit themselves as organizers,» concluded Gabriel Chavez. 

A week away from commemorating the Holy Days, Gabriel Chavez acknowledged that there are no favorable conditions to carry out the living representation, therefore it will be suspended for the third time. 

Translated by Kerry Watson

Dispensary of the Ajijic delegation. Photo: Archive.

Sofía Medeles(Ajijic).-  A dispensary instituted by the Ajijic delegation has been providing people in need with their necessary medicines, according to Maximiano Macías Arceo, who is in charge of the office.

Macías Arceo explained that it is mainly Health Center patients and the elderly who come for medicines that include analgesics, anti-inflammatories, vitamins, some diabetes medicines, and supplies such as insulin syringes. Macías Arceo said that he collaborates with Health Center staff, who send their patients for medicine if their pharmacy is unable to provide them. 

The delegation’s program is operating in cooperation with the NGO Social Networks Project and the Alégrate Foundation to provide controlled medicines for diabetic patients. In addition, a donated wheelchair and crutches can be loaned to anyone who needs them.

The dispensary is still receiving donations of non-expired and non-controlled medicines, which can be dropped off at the delegation across from the Ajijic plaza from 9 am to 3 pm. A medical prescription is required to acquire needed medicines.

Translated by MaryAnne Marble

Asistentes del primer programa de recolección de basura. Foto: Alejandro Aguirre Curiel.

Sofía Medeles.- Arrancó un nuevo programa de limpieza en Ajijic la mañana del pasado sábado 2 de abril. Decenas de jóvenes, niños y autoridades del municipio participaron en la limpieza de varias calles de la zona centro. 

En esta ocasión, se invitó a los alumnos del Centro de Estudios Técnicos en Aguas Continentales (CETAC), para apoyar al programa. Aunado a esto, el encargado de despacho, Maximiano Macías Arceo, aseguró que al menos 12 niños se unieron al recorrido.

Jóvenes durante la recolecta de basura en las calles de Ajijic. Foto: Maximiano Macías Arceo.

“La siguiente fecha será después de las vacaciones de Semana Santa. Invitaremos a más escuelas a cooperar, ya sean públicas o privadas, porque queremos que todos tomen conciencia y participen en la limpieza de las calles”, compartió Macías Arceo.

A los alumnos que asistieron, se les proporcionó un refrigerio donado por varias personas, entre ellas la regidora de Ajijic, Denisse Michelle Ibarra, el síndico Gamaliel Soto Pérez y un miembro del grupo Unidos por Ajijic.

Además, varias personas se sumaron a donar calcomanías para los cestos de basura y contenedores para los desechos. Aunque aseguró que todo había salido bien durante el recorrido, el encargado de despacho mencionó que tanto a él como a los participantes les causó tristeza que de nuevo había basura en las calles después de la brigada de limpieza.

Niños recibiendo refrigerio donado por funcionarios públicos. Foto: Maximiano Macías Arceo.

“Durante el recorrido, algunas personas dijeron que recordaron la labor de Juanita, ‘La Japonesa’ y mencionaron que ojalá se logre un proyecto como el que ella tenía en su tiempo. Queremos volver a reavivar esa cultura de limpieza y control de la basura en las calles”, abundó. 

Finalmente, Maximiano Macías dijo que en las próximas fechas de este proyecto, son bienvenidas tanto las donaciones como los voluntarios. Días antes de las reuniones, estas se anunciarán tanto en la página en Facebook “Delegación Ajijic 2021-2024”, como en medios locales. 

Al evento también asistió el presidente municipal de Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel; la regidora de la delegación, Denisse Michelle Ibarra; el síndico municipal, Gamaliel Soto Pérez; entre otros trabajadores de la delegación.

El elenco completo del Víacrucis consta de más 60 personas, los principales son Jesús, María, Nicodemo, los Bandidos, Poncio Pilatos, los Apóstoles, Salomé, Verónica, María Magdalena, Simón de Cirene, Longinos, José de Arimatea y Caifás. 

Jazmín Stengel.- Este Domingo de Ramos se presentó por primera vez, el elenco principal de Pasión de Cristo Chapala 2022, durante la misa de 13:30 horas que reunió a cerca de 300 personas en la parroquia de San Francisco de Asís, en la cabecera municipal.

El electo será integrado por Joel Salvador Torres Arayga como Jesuscristo, Athziri Guadalupe Martínez Real como la Virgen María, José Roberto Michel Mendoza será Poncio Pilatos y en la representación de Herodes estará Ramiro Moreno López, Jesús Alfonso Basulto Anaya como judas y Carlos Aguayo Ramírez y Jorge Alfonso Villegas Lopez los sacerdotes del Sanedrín Sacerdotes 

Durante todo el 10 de abril, se celebraron misas a cada hora desde las siete de la mañana, en los barrios de Guadalupe, Tepehua, Lourdes y La Purísima, más la parroquia principal San Francisco de Asís. En las otras cuatro iglesias, se reunieron de 100 a 200 personas por misa. 

Te compartimos en imágenes cómo se vivió el Domingo de Ramos en Chapala.

Algunos de los conocidos arreglos de palma que son bendecidos durante el Domingo de Ramos. En la foto son de trigo, la única condición es que sea palma. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.

Al término de la misa, con sus arreglos de palma ya benditas, los presentes salieron por la puerta lateral para evitar aglomeraciones. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.

Muchos jóvenes también visitaron la iglesia durante las misas, la gente oraba sosteniendo su palma. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.

Las palmas fueron bendecidas por los sacerdotes de la parroquia San Francisco de Asís durante la misa. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.

Jesús junto a los apóstoles. El actor que lo interpreta es Diego López Padilla, de Chapala. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles– Después de dos años de ausencia, la representación de la “Entrada de Jesús a Jerusalén” se volvió a realizar en la zona centro de Ajijic, con unas leves modificaciones. A continuación, te compartimos gráficamente algunos de los momentos del recorrido.

La procesión, como es costumbre, inició en Las Seis Esquinas, donde se reunieron quienes representaron a Jesús junto a los apóstoles, un grupo de fieles y algunos organizadores del grupo Pasión de Cristo. 

Tras una oración y palabras de agradecimiento por parte del director general, Eduardo Ramos Cordero, inició el trayecto por la calle Hidalgo, el cual se encontraba tapizado por alfalfa, que fue colocada por los vecinos.

Al final del trayecto, es costumbre que los personajes de la representación lleguen a la misa de siete de la tarde, en la Parroquia de San Andrés Apóstol, que se celebra en el atrio; sin embargo, este año, finalizaron en la plaza principal de Ajijic, y la misa se hizo dentro del recinto, dejando algunos fieles confundidos y comentando el suceso.

Únicamente los personajes dieron una vuelta en la plaza, donde fueron recibidos por los asistentes de la kermés “Verbena del Pasado», y finalizaron frente al Centro Cultural. Los espectadores continuaron en las vendimias de la verbena.

Los siguientes eventos de la representación de la Pasión de Cristo son: el próximo jueves 14, se realizará la oración y aprehensión en el huerto a partir de las nueve de la noche, al pie del cerro, al final de la calle Tempisque, posteriormente se dará un recorrido por las calles Emiliano Zapata y Colón, que terminará en la plaza.

El Viernes Santo, se harán el juicio ante Poncio Pilato, Herodes y flagelación a partir de las 11 de la mañana, lugar aún por definir, terminando con el camino hacia el Gólgota, que será con el recorrido de costumbre: Parroquia, Juárez, Ángel Flores, y Tempisque hasta pie de cerro; y el rumbo al sepulcro, que terminará en la plaza.

Jesús junto a los apóstoles y los niños en la plaza principal. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

Jesús recibiendo a los niños. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

Personas en Hidalgo al cruce con Colón, esperando la representación. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

El recorrido, como de costumbre, fue a lo largo de la calle Hidalgo, entre Álvaro Obregón y Marcos Castellanos. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

Vecinos apoyando a colocar la alfalfa en la calle Hidalgo. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

Eduardo Ramos Cordero junto a un grupo de fieles, al momento de la oración. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

Alex at Italia. Photo: Jazmin Stengel.

Patrick O’Heffernan and Jazmin Stengel.-  Alex Sgroi was seven years old  in Switzerland when Hitler invaded Poland and still remembers the sound of the German planes flying overhead; the war did not touch him directly, but he lost friends in the war and he lost contact with many people he knew. As a result, he still carries the need to help with him, which is why when Russia invaded Ukraine, he knew he had to do something.  

“I wanted not only to raise money to help the refugees, but to raise awareness of the suffering that the invasion was causing.  I saw the atrocities that are happening in Ukraine today as no different than the atrocities of WW2.  So I decided to raise money and awareness,” Alex told Semanario in an interview at his new  restaurant, Italia.

The plan was simple;  ask people to buy a takeout lasagna for $500 pesos and have them pick them up during a week set aside for the fund raising. Before starting, however, he consulted friends with relatives in Ukraine, and local nonprofits and his contacts from being in Rotary and Masons, and their advice helped.

“It was very successful.  We raised more than we planned and have already sent the money to the Canadian Red Cross.  I chose the Canadian Red Cross because the Canadian government was matching donations until they reached $130millinon CN.  Our donation was too late for the match, but it still helped,”, Alex said.

Having spent almost all of his adult life in the restaurant industry, including managing restaurants for major hotel chains in Europe, Alex knows exactly how to most efficiently produce the dinners.  He started a few weeks before the designated donation week and he and his staff cooked the lasagnas, packaged them for takeout, and froze them as part of their regular routine. They defrosted them during the donation week and were able to deliver delicious fresh lasagna to donors who arrive at his new location, Italia, in Ajijic.

“This is what I knew how to do,” Alex told Laguna as we gathered around one of the Formica tables in Italia, “Because of my age I could not volunteer to fight – I would be more of a problem than a solution, but this I could do,” He added that if there is a need for restaurant management or cooking, he would volunteer.

The people who bought the dinners were mostly  Canadians, he said, followed by Americans and a few Mexicans.   He said he has both Expats and Mexicans customers, but because they eat dinner at different times, they rarely are at the restaurant at the same time. But since the campaign was mostly for takeout, it did not matter. What was important was that they donated and they knew of the fight in Ukraine and the suffering of the refugees.

Land located next to the San Antonio Tlayacapan boardwalk. Photo: Armando Esquivel.

Armando Esquivel(San Antonio Tlayacapan).-  José de Jesús Arambul Solorio, a former PAN candidate for Congress,  has been accused of corruption by local citizens for trying to subdivide land in a federal zone on the beaches of Lake Chapala, next to the San Antonio Tlayacapan boardwalk.

Claiming that Arambul Solorio used faked deeds and a corrupt notary, the citizens went to  take back  the public space on the afternoon of April 1.  Arambul Solorio was also present accompanied by his subordinates. 

About 50 people gathered on the San Antonio Tlayacapan boardwalk; men, women, children, young and old came to defend what they consider to be public spaces and began removing the  metal fence poles. Jesús Arambul’s subordinates wanted to confront the demonstrators, but were  told to  «leave them alone» and just record the action.

José de Jesús Arambul Solorio is accused of invading a federal zone in order to benefit economically from it. Photo: ITEI Jalisco.

As the activists shouted «raiders» and «invaders» and the crowd of citizens, many of them very  angry, joined in to recover the spaces they consider public, the former candidate for local deputy for the National Action Party (PAN) chose to hide inside a trailer on in the property the group claimed he had illegally invaded. 

One of the people accompanying the politician claimed that they were acting legally because they had a deed to the land.  They said it was not fair for the neighbors to label them as outsiders parachuting “into the community to take public land. 

One of Jesús Arambul’s subordinates offered a copy of a deed  and  tried  to argue that it proved the claim to the land was legal.  He asked  “Who is the leader?”  so he could dialogue with someone in charge, but the crowd answered that no one was a leader and that they all acted equally.  

The photocopies of the deed presented show  that Alvaro Guzmán Merino, notary public 126 of Guadalajara, issued the document, endorsing the purchase and sale of almost 5,104 square meters in front of the lake, with Gerardo Ponce Gómez as the seller and Jesús Arambul as the buyer.  Those present said they never heard of  Ponce Gómez 

The title deed shown has an issue date of February 2021, but the Official Gazette of the State of Jalisco, July 24, 2020 ,  states that the notary in question could not practice because he was suspended. Additionally,  Jesús Arambul’s subordinates  did not present previous deeds;  instead they argued that the property was owned by the seller since 1994 and that he had a concession from the National Water Commission (CONAGUA). No evidence of a concession was presented.

Jesús Arambul intends  to subdivide the property for a luxury housing development and is already putting 11 lots up for sale, asking 6,500 pesos per square meter,  legal deeds, supposedly with all the services, at the foot of the lake and with a fenced preserve.  

CONAGUA representatives were not in evidence at the demonstration, following their failure to   defend the shores of Lake Chapala which they are legally obliged to protect. The municipal  government say sthat they have not neglected the issue and have reported invasions to the federal agency.

«They have told us that it is not a municipal issue, however, you are aware that we have entered (the disputed land), we have recovered spaces and we will continue working on the recovery of public spaces. I believe that the participation of the inhabitants is very important», Chapala President Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel said during an interview with the media,  adding that the demonstrators should take care in their actions.

Two municipal police patrols were  present on the day of the demonstration, but decided to withdraw before the protest started. 

José de Jesús Arambul Solorio ran for local deputy for the XI district in Zapopan, using his political party, Acción Nacional, and lost the race. Arambul also served as coordinator within the Secretariat of Mobility of Jalisco, where he was disciplined for failing to file his asset declaration after leaving office. A politician with a law degree,  he owns  «Grupo AS Bienes Raíces», which is running ads on the internet offering large lots of land for sale in Chapala. 

The  fence built on this property was torn down and closure seals had been placed on the property  by the authorities, but work has continued.  Arambul Solorio  promised not to make any moves until the situation is legally resolved, but the neighbors of San Antonio Tlayacapan, who were also accompanied by a group of people from Ajijic, said they do not believe him and  fear that political influence could  result in luxury houses on the shoreline and the exclusion of citizens to spaces they consider to belong to all.  

Translated  by Patrick O’Heffernan

A Cyclone fence that had been removed and was put up a day after removal. Photo: Sofia Medeles.

Sofía Medeles(Ajijic).- Of the nine cyclone fences removed from federal land by activists, at least five were put back up by the owners of the residences on the shoreline Lake Chapala. 

The «anti-rejas» (anti-fences) movement, which  removed alleged illegal obstructions at the initiative of the group Pueblos Unidos de la Ribera, has focused on two areas of Ajijic: the beaches known as «Tío Domingo», and the  Ajijic shoreline starting on Donato Guerra Street.

Seven fences were removed from the beaches of Tío Domingo, five of which have been reinstalled. In two of these cases, the property owners  have planted crops to back up  their claimed  concession from the government to fence in the shoreline. To date, one of these plots still has agaves planted on it. Two other landowners placed gates at the border of their properties, claiming they were there to stop trespassing.

On the other side of Ajijic, two gates were removed  by the Pueblos Unidos de la Ribera group The first one is located at the end of Donato Guerra Street. The property owner threatened to take action against the activists,  but the activists were able to completely remove the  chain-link fence. The activists also knocked down  fence posts during their protest on March 25. 

Later that day, close to the Hotel Real de Chapala, they removed a fence that extended approximately 30 meters along the shore of the lake, which had been rebuilt the following day,

Members of the group stated on several occasions that they would take action as many times as necessary against the alleged invaders of the areas that had  previously been cleared of fencing.

On Friday, April 8, Pueblos Unidos de la Ribera will gather  to remove the invasion next to the Hotel Real. 

Translated  by Patrick O’Heffernan

El hombre fue puesto a disposición del Juez de Control y Juicio Oral del Quinto Distrito Judicial, con sede en Chapala, quien resolverá su situación legal. Foto ilustrativa cortesía de Notisistema.

Redacción.- Elementos de la Fiscalía Regional cumplimentaron una orden de aprehensión a Roberto Carlos R., por su probable responsabilidad en el delito de abuso sexual infantil agravado.

 Las diligencias de la Policía Investigadora permitieron detener a este  hombre  en la calle Hidalgo, colonia Centro, del municipio de Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos.

Roberto Carlos R., presuntamente está relacionado por agresión sexual a un infante, hechos  suscitados en este año, por lo que le resultó una orden de aprehensión.

 Por lo anterior fue puesto a disposición del Juez de Control y Juicio Oral del Quinto Distrito Judicial, con sede en Chapala, quien resolverá su situación legal.

 Roberto Carlos R. será procesado por el delito de abuso sexual infantil agravado, por lo que se ratifica que a esta persona se le presume inocente.