Early in the morning of July 19, Sunday, R, C, and I decided to wake up extra early to be able to attend the first mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an important National Shrine due to an alleged appearance of the Virgin Mary in 16th century to an Aztec named Juan Diego to instruct him to build a church at the site.
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| The lights were the first thing that caught my eye... and I jaw dropped in awe of its beauty. |
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| Find the Philippine flag! :) |
According to the story, the then Bishop first doubted the report but when presented with roses in winter and when the image of the Virgin Mary was miraculously imprinted on a cloth, he immediately ordered the construction of the church. This church became one of the most important tool to convert the Aztecs to Christianity. Two centuries later, Our Lady of Guadalupe became the patron saint of Mexico which continues to this day. Veneration of the Lady strengthened in 1921 when a bomb explosion caused parts of the church including the marble steps to be destroyed but the glass case of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe remained intact.
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| new church where mass is celebrated |
Maybe because we went there too early but we didn't get to enter the old church. Would have wanted to see its interiors. With the significance of the church to the Mexicans, I am sure that the interiors would be VERY beautiful. We were also in a hurry because we wanted to catch the breakfast spread at the hotel and attend some sessions since Sunday would be the last day.
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| old church preserved (the sun was just about to rise) |
Outside the church complex, there is a building that sells religious items. The merchandise are on the pricey side since it's a touristy place. In fact, that's the reason why we went there early, to avoid the crowds that are sure to flood the church. (Except the downside to this was that we were not able to take beautiful photos because of lack of natural light... Ah well I'm a fan of silhouettes anyway so no prob with me. Though if I were to study the details through pics, that wouldn't help.)
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| religious merchandise being sold outside the church complex grounds |
So going back to the hotel we were in luck to still be able to eat decent breakfast and to attend the last day of the conference.
The following day, we went to Teotihuacan. It would be the last day for most of the participants including C. That night also started my solo travel towards Yucatán Peninsula. It was full of misadventures but I put my faith in God and in humanity so I still can say that I had the best adventure of my life... so far. :)
Also read:
and more updates in the coming weeks
Note: I am just taking a break from writing two papers for a conference which will be held at the end of this month... WISH ME LUCK and please... PRAY FOR ME.
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