Luego de una misa celebrada en la Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís, los músicos llevan en un recorrido a la imagen de Santa Cecilia por el malecón de Chapala. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.
D. Arturo Ortega. – Con fe, tradición y música se vivió el 22 de noviembre, Día del Músico en Chapala, lugar donde desde muy temprano, por la mañana grupos de norteño, mariachis, tríos y solistas que laboran en los lugares más visitados de la cabecera municipal, se dieron cita en la Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís y el extremo oriente del malecón para celebrar a la patrona, Santa Cecilia.
A través de una serie de imágenes tomadas por Jazmín Stengel, te compartimos cómo la fe y la devoción se manifestó durante este día tan significativo para el gremio de la música:
Photo: St. Andrew Catholic Church.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- With no fields to sow and no cows to herd in Ajijic, the farmers’ guild, once one of the strongest of the nine guilds, is now one of the hardest hit in the Ajijic’s patron saint festivities.
The festivities in honor of San Andrés Apóstol are held from November 22 to 30 In the Parish of San Andrés Apóstol, where the patron saint of Ajijic is located.
Semanario Laguna spoke with one of the members (of the guild. Ramona Díaz, receiving the media outside her house hiding her hands to protect herself from the cold, nostalgically commented that her membership in the guild is because she inherited it from her father, who inherited it from her grandfather. Senora Diaz acknowledged that the guild is one of those that has been fading the most with time.
«It used to be a robust day because there was a lot of farming and ranching, but the guild members have been doing less and less. Today there are fewer than 25 of us who cooperate, and there is no longer anywhere to plant or have livestock, that is why the festivities have been lost,» she mentioned while raising her voice a little to be able to stand out among the noise of trucks and cars passing by outside her home.
She went on to say that the only thing left is the name, because only memories of this trade remain, and they will probably be those of this last generation. «I don’t think I will pass it on to my children, because they are no longer committed to the faith or to the profession. Not only my children, many young people no longer approach religion today.»
She said that another important factor in the lack of participation not only in her guild, but in all the guilds,is the diminished the day of the youth which is a colorful day with a lot of celebration in other areas, but here it is different, because they have been leaving aside religion and customs, they only see the celebration.»
Looking to the side, she recalls a tradition that is basically lost, in which the guild on the following day, made a small procession with lanterns to get to the last mass of the day which represented that they were receiving their day. They called this the «entrada.» «It would be nice if those of us who participate in the guilds could agree to wear a shawl and wear our tresses, so we could show more of our traditions and roots.»
Finally, she called on the community of Ajijic, adults, youth and children, to get more involved in the traditions that remain since, with pride, she says it is part of what makes Ajijic magical. «Another one I remember is the battle of the roses -men giving roses to women during the dances in the plaza. It was nice and fun. It should be done again and we could motivate them, for example, by giving a prize to the one with the most roses. Let’s not let the traditions that made us what we are die.»
Translated by Sydney Metrick
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- With no fields to sow and no cows to herd in Ajijic, the farmers’ guild, once one of the strongest of the nine guilds, is now one of the hardest hit in the Ajijic’s patron saint festivities.
The festivities in honor of San Andrés Apóstol are held from November 22 to 30 In the Parish of San Andrés Apóstol, where the patron saint of Ajijic is located.
Semanario Laguna spoke with one of the members (of the guild. Ramona Díaz, received the media outside her house hiding her hands to protect herself from the cold, nostalgically commented that her membership in the guild is because she inherited it from her father, who inherited it from her grandfather. Senora Diaz acknowledged that the guild is one of those that has been fading the most with time.
«It used to be a robust day because there was a lot of farming and ranching, but the guild members have been doing less and less. Today there are fewer than 25 of us who cooperate, and there is no longer anywhere to plant or have livestock, that is why the festivities have been lost,» she mentioned while raising her voice a little to be able to stand out among the noise of trucks and cars passing by outside her home.
She went on to say that the only thing left is the name, because only memories of this trade remain, and they will probably be those of this last generation. «I don’t think I will pass it on to my children, because they are no longer committed to the faith or to the profession. Not only my children, many young people no longer approach religion today.»
She said that another important factor in the lack of participation not only in her guild, but in all the guilds,is the diminished the day of the youth which is a colorful day with a lot of celebration in other areas, but here it is different, because they have been leaving aside religion and customs, they only see the celebration.»
Looking to the side, she recalls a tradition that is basically lost, in which the guild on the following day, made a small procession with lanterns to get to the last mass of the day which represented that they were receiving their day. They called this the «entrada.» «It would be nice if those of us who participate in the guilds could agree to wear a shawl and wear our tresses, so we could show more of our traditions and roots.»
Finally, she called on the community of Ajijic, adults, youth and children, to get more involved in the traditions that remain since, with pride, she says it is part of what makes Ajijic magical. «Another one I remember, is the battle of the roses -men giving roses to women during the dances in the plaza. It was nice and fun. It should be done again and we could motivate them, for example, by giving a prize to the one with the most roses. Let’s not let the traditions that made us what we are die.»
Translated by Sydney Metrick.
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.
The banner listing the program of activities and participating guilds is on the façade of the church of St. Andrew the Apostle.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- The novena of nine days of religious celebrations to honor St. Andrew the Apostle will be carried out at the church in the customary way -unlike the celebrations in the main plaza, which will be modified- with the traditional mañanitas, masses, rosaries, and adoration of the Holy Eucharist.
The mañanitas will be held at 7:00 a.m.; while mass will be held at three different times, 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Rosaries will be at 6:30 p.m., and adoration of the Holy Eucharist- in the hands of adorers and honorary adorers – will be on Wednesday, November 24, Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.
Translated by Kerry Watson.
Parish of San Andrés Apóstol, where the patron saint of Ajijic is located. The festivities in honor of San Andrés Apóstol take place from November 22 to 30. Photo: Sofía Medeles
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)– A few days before the start of the festivities in honor of the patron saint of Ajijic (November 22-30), the Chapala government has finally given the festivities a green light with conditions that guarantee they will be held as our ancestors used to do. That is to say, the old-fashioned way.
The municipal authorities conditioned its permission on a midnight shutdown time, a restricted capacity, sanitary filters run by the guilds, signage identifying entrances and exits, use of masks throughout the nine days of parties, and monitoring by the municipal government.
Maximiliano «Max» Macías, currently in charge of the Delegation office, commented that the delegation is working together with merchants, guilds and organizing groups to create a very healthy and old-fashioned celebration in the kiosk of the Plaza with small, local music groups. In the afternoon there will be cultural performances.
«The experience at the festivities will be different this time; people can come with the family, spend some time and have dinner. We are starting little by little and reactivating the economy. For example, merchants who have not been able to make a living, will be allowed to work, as long as they respect the requirements of the Ministry of Health,” said Max.
The calendar of activities for the novenario (nine days of parties) was published the delegation’s web page (Delegación Ajijic 2021-2024), which lists the guilds who have duty each day: on November 22nd, the musicians’ guild; on the 23rd, the merchants’ guild; on the 24th, terrace owners who reached an agreement; and on the 25th , the new youth guild. These have all agreed to bring musical groups (who will perform at the kiosk). From November 26th to 30th the activities to be carried out will depend on the budget of the remaining guilds.
Residents see this as good news and have expressed their enthusiastic approval in social networks and interviews conducted by Semanario Laguna.
«It is good because on the one hand we see how little by little we are getting out of this pandemic, and on the other hand because they give the population a space to have fun,» said Sara from Ajijic to Laguna.
Maximiliano «Max» Macías called upon those attending the celebrations in honor of Saint Andrew the Apostle, and the merchants at the festivities, to respect the conditions and the Covid measures, noting that violators may be penalized.
Translated by Dee Lynn
Templo de San Andrés Apóstol. Foto: Archivo.
D. Arturo Ortega. – Luego de la falta de respuesta por parte de la Mesa de Salud Jalisco para conceder la realización de reuniones para realización de celebraciones, el Ayuntamiento de Chapala anunció que sí se llevarán a cabo las fiestas patronales a realizarse en próximas fechas, pero con ciertas restricciones.
“El límite de horario será las 12:00 de la noche, aforo restringido a un máximo de personas (no especificado) y la instalación de filtros sanitarios, con responsabilidad para los gremios y grupos que organizan las festividades”, serán parte de las restricciones y responsabilidades.
Lo anterior se realizó por parte de las Autoridades Municipales, en atención a las diversas peticiones de los habitantes, grupos organizados y gremios, ha determinado que se conceden permisos para llevar a cabo eventos.
Entre las fiestas más esperadas en el municipio se encuentran las fiestas de San Andrés Apóstol, Santo Patrono del Pueblo Mágico de Ajijic que se celebrarán a través de un novenario que concluye el 30 de noviembre.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, in Ajijic, is close to starting the restoration project
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)- The project for the restoration of Ajijic’s Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary is very close to starting, and after four fundraising events, the group “Sumando Voluntades” or Summoning Volunteers is ready to take the next step.
Their most recent event was the seventh annual Run for the Rosary, held on the day of the Virgin of the Rosary, October 31, with 180 runners participating in the race. The race and the fair held on the same day raised 40 thousand pesos, giving a total of approximately 350 thousand pesos that the group has raised to start working.
The architect in charge of the project, Josué Ramos, said that the restoration project was presented to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and needs some modifications, however, the capital raised is enough to get started.
«They asked us to revise the structural project to the specifications provided by the architect of the INAH. The architect said that we don’t have to spend all the capital in the first stage since they were quite simple things to start with,» Josué asserted.
He also added that they have more events in mind, although they have yet to plan the details or set the date. In the short term, they plan to focus on the architectural survey and the necessary restructuring.
«We will continue to raise funds for this project. For the moment, we are thinking of selling a black and white poster with the Virgin of the Rosary and the little chapel in the background, which we will start selling during the patron saint festivities and whenever we have the opportunity», concluded the architect Josué.
Translated by Kerry Watson.
For the second year in a row, the large altar on top of the Quiosco de San Juan Cosalá was set on fire. Photo: Courtesy.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía: For the second consecutive year, the Day of the Dead monumental altar on the Kiosk of San Juan Cosalá was set on fire, although this year, unlike last year, the blaze was caused intentionally, according to Luis Guzmán coordinator of the November 1 «Paseo de las Ánimas» event.
Although the identity of the culprits is known, their names have not yet been officially released, said one of the participants of the «Paseo de las Ánimas» who preferred to remain anonymous. Furthermore, according to Luis Guzmán, the organizers were unaware of the fire that broke out in the early hours of November 2nd until the following morning.
«This is not only an offense to me and my team, but to the entire community, since it was the residents themselves who helped to decorate and make the festival a reality,» Guzmán explained, dismayed by the situation.
According to Guzmán ‘s version, all possible precautions were taken and he and his team checked everything before leaving because of their experience of the accidental fire at the last festival caused by a candle that set fire to the altar.
«I personally extinguished all the candles, I made sure that nothing was left burning and regarding the wires, we did not leave a single one, precisely wanting to avoid any kind of short circuit, we checked everything; this, sadly, was intentional,» said Luis, via telephone to Semanario Laguna.
Thus the work of the residents of San Juan Cosalá, which took approximately two weeks to cover the entire Quisco de flores de Cempasuchil, was reduced to ashes in a single night.
According to an anonymous source, the people who caused the fire are already known by the people of San Juan Cosalá themselves. Since the complaint was made unofficially, the suspects are presumed to be public servants whose motive for setting fire to the offering is also unknown.
A meeting will be held at the offices of the delegation between the organizers of the festivity, who are seeking to reveal the culprits so that the events do not happen again. The meeting is scheduled for on Friday, November 5, around 7:00 p.m.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan.
On November 1 and 2, the cemetery was open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm with a Covid checkpoint at the entry.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)– Unlike last year when the municipal cemetery only allowed people to enter to clean the tombstones, this year people were able to decorate the graves of their relatives who have passed away and spend some time together.
The doors of the cemetery were kept open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on November 1 and 2, and strict Covid checkpoints were maintained at the entrance. Visitors were required to wear masks and many did, and sanitizing gel was provided. In addition, Civil Protection personnel were on hand to assist.
«It is a beautiful tradition that year after year we try not to lose, besides being a moment of uniting with our living and our dead. I met many people that I know here and we were happy that this year the cemetery was more accessible and we could stay longer. And we found a very clean cemetery», said one of the Ajijic residents who was at the cemetery.
Inside the cemetery, people were busy cleaning and decorating the tombs, as well as sitting and socializing among families. Every grave, even the oldest and most forgotten, had at least one flower. Outside the cemetery flowers and food were on sale.
The person in charge of the office, Maximiliano «Max» Macías Arceo, said that elements of civil protection and public security were patrolling the cemetery. He also said that there were no mishaps and that people followed the requirements and respected the hours of service.
«The cemetery was not closed as such, because the gate to the stream is missing, but at the time (of closing) people were invited to leave and there were no problems. There were no altercations or mishaps», said Maximiliano «Max» Macías.
Also, on November 2, the cemetery closed one hour later by order of the Chapala City Hall, so that the families had the opportunity to leave their graves ready and clean of the garbage they may have generated during that afternoon.
Translated by Amy Esperanto.
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