Good Friday traditions in San Miguel, By Jesús Ibarra; photos by Charlotte Bell (cont. from frontpage), Via Crucis reenactment in San Luis Rey: an act of faith, By Jesús Ibarra, Break-in attempt, By Jesús Ibarra, Full-scale Neighborhood Watch organizing drive, By Carol Schmidt

The oldest, and most solemn, events take place on Good Friday. The Paso del Sacerdote (Passing of the Priest) and Procesión del Santo Encuentro (The Sacred Encounter) date back to around 1756, the same year that Las Monjas was built. The procession was initiated by Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro, the founder of the Shrine of Atotonilco located a short distance outside San Miguel.

Father Alfaro commissioned the San Roque Brotherhood to organize the penitential procession, and all the townspeople of San Miguel participated. A marvelous painting by Antonio Martínez de Pocasangre in the Chapel of the Calvary in the Shrine of Atotonilco depicts the original procession of Padre Alfaro. Father Alfaro himself joined the procession, bearing a cross and being flogged, falling three times along the route to the crucifixion just as Christ did during His martyrdom.

The procession was originally a complete Via Crucis (Way of the Cross, representing Jesus' walk to Calvary). Fourteen crosses, marking its 14 steps, were built into the walls along the streets of Centro, among them Correo, San Francisco and Mesones. Nowadays, the procession includes only four steps, the result of attrition during the War of Independence, the Revolution and the Cristeros war.

Currently, the Passing of the Priest and the Sacred Encounter procession is organized by a group of patrons headed by Rubén Villasana Licea. The organizers attempt to recreate Padre Alfaro's procession as accurately as possible. When Don Rubén accepted the presidency of the patronage group in 1983, the procession took place only in front of the Parroquia and La Santa Escuela. It was his idea to return the procession to the streets, faithful to Father Alfaro's plan, and to organize the four stations of the cross we see today.

In the early morning of Good Friday the solemn celebration begins. Pilgrims arrive at the Parroquia from their journey that began at the Sanctuary of Atotonilco, bearing the heavy cross of Padre Alfaro.

The celebration continues with the first step of the Via Crucis, a representation of Christ's judgment before Pontius Pilate. This takes place at the entrance of La Santa Escuela, next door to the Parroquia, using the 18th-century statue of the Lord of Eccehomo (Latin for "Behold the Man!-shouted by Pilate when he presented Jesus to the crowd during His trial). The procession then begins, headed by Padre Alfaro's original banner and the original 18th-century statue of Saint Roque, which represents the brotherhood that originally developed the ceremony.

Following Saint Roque and the banner, and as depicted in the Atotonilco painting, barefoot penitents bearing skulls or crosses, with crowns of thorns on their heads and wearing silicios (tunics made of rough cloth), walk in the procession, followed by Roman soldiers and four men carrying the statue of the Lord of Eccehomo. Next follows Father Primitivo (the current parish priest), carrying a cross just as Father Alfaro did. It is for this reason that the procession is call "Passing of the Priest." By the priest's side tread the two thieves, Dimas and Gestas, bare-chested and with their arms tied to a piece of timber.

Next is the statue of Jesus the Nazarene, usually displayed at La Santa Escuela. This is the original wooden sculpture commissioned by Father Alfaro. A special mechanism allows Christ's head to move. The statue is carried on an anda (special base) by 22 men.

Other statues of several saints follow the procession: the apostle John, the only disciple present at His death; Mary Magdalene, a prostitute who redeemed herself and followed Christ; Mary Cleophas, said to be the mother of the apostle James; and Veronica. The latter bears the shroud with which she is supposed to have cleaned the sweat and blood from Christ's face during the Via Crucis. The shroud bears the imprint of His face. The statues of Veronica and Mary Cleophas also date from Padre Alfaro's time.

The procession leaves La Santa Escuela and moves through calle Correo, turns at calle Corregidora and then at calle San Francisco. After circling the Jardín, it returns to the Parroquia.

When the procession returns to the Parroquia, the Sacred Encounter takes place between Jesus and His mother (the statue of the sorrowful Virgin Mary from the Parroquia). Spectators are astonished when Christ raises His head and sees His mother.

Procession participants who aren't not dressed as penitents or Romans must wear white shirts and black pants (skirts, for women) so that each participant is equal. According to Rubén Villasana, about 200 people participate each year in the procession.

Each statue has caretakers to clean, change its clothes, prepare it for the procession and select people to carry it. Most people participate by special invitation, but anyone may join the procession, as long as they are appropriately dressed (respectfully, with no T-shirts or shorts).

The Holy Burial

The second procession, around 5pm, is called the Holy Burial representing the interment of Christ. The recumbent figure of Christ in a glass catafalque is borne from the Oratorio by 30 men. It winds down calles San Francisco, Hidalgo and Insurgentes. Roman soldiers and others, all dressed in mourning and carrying lanterns, follow the long procession, which returns to the Oratorio after nightfall.

Women dressed in mourning go to the Oratorio in the evening to participate in the procession of the Virgin of Solitude. The women, wearing lace mantillas and white gloves, bear the statue of the Virgin from the Oratorio, passing by the Church of La Salud and Colegio de Sales.

The Virgin of Dolores and the Virgin of Solitude differ in appearance. The former is dressed in dark blue and purple and represents the Virgin Mary in the moments before her son's death. The Virgin of Solitude, dressed in black, is the representation of the Virgin after the death of Christ.

Holy Sunday

There are no processions on Holy Sunday, but early masses are said in all the churches. At midday, the traditional exploding of Judas figures takes place outside the Presidencia. The papier mâché Judas figures, many of which are caricatures of public figures, are fitted with rockets that noisily explode to the delight of the crowd. This tradition dates to the Colonial period, when Spanish missionaries used the effigies to teach the indigenous peoples about the treason of Judas.

Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro (1709-1776)

Father Luis Alfaro was born on August 25, 1709, in Mexico City to a wealthy and devoted family. His parents were Don Esteban Valero de Alfaro and Doña María Velázquez de Castilla.

He studied at the Royal and Pontifical Archdiocesan Seminary of Mexico, where he received the title of Bachelor of Theology in 1729. When he was 20 years old, he came to San Miguel el Grande (today, de Allende) and entered the Congregation of the Oratorio of San Felipe Neri on March 26, 1730.

It is said that one day when Father Alfaro came back from preaching in Dolores Hidalgo he stopped to rest under a mesquite tree, in a place where there were thermal waters ("Atotonilco" means "hot water" in the native language). While sleeping, he had a dream in which he saw Christ wearing a crown of thorns and carrying a cross. The Lord told him that it was His wish that the place should become a site for prayer and penitence.

Therefore, in 1746, after asking for his superiors's permission, Padre Alfaro built the famous Shrine of Jesus the Nazarene at Atotonilco.

Padre Alfaro had a special interest in the Passion of Christ, so he had the shrine decorated with this motif. All the paintings in the shrine were executed by Antonio Martínez de Pocasangre.

Father Alfaro died on March 22, 1776. His body lies in the presbytery of the Shrine of Jesus the Nazarene.

While the most impressive reenactment of the Passion takes place in Centro with hundreds of formally costumed participants, in the working-class colonia of San Luis Rey a similar pageant is held. Although the San Luis Rey pageant is smaller in scale, it is no less passionate. For the past four years, on Good Friday the semi-paved streets of San Luis Rey have borne the weight of the Via Crucis pageant (the Stations of the Cross; see sidebar), uniting neighbors in their shared faith.

The organizers

Four years ago, Don José Merced Martínez Luna and other members of the neighborhood of Montes de Loreto, a nearby colonia, were inspired to recreate the Via Crucis after watching the famous reenactment in Iztapalapa in Mexico City.

"There was a place in the colonia that was ideal for the crucifixion. We went to see the priest in San Luis Rey, and he agreed to support us," remembers Don José Merced. Martín Aguilar was charged with selecting and coordinating the actors.

An experienced carpenter, Don José Merced took it upon himself to design and build the cross. The finished object, made from pine from Durango, measures five and a half meters high and has two-meter-long crosspieces. When it was first constructed it weighed 70 kilograms, but exposure to the elements and loss of resin have reduced its weight by five kilograms.

Although the reenactment of the Via Crucis was performed for the first time in 2002, this year marks only the fourth performance. Aguilar, who was in charge of coordinating the actors, left Mexico to work in the United States, and no one else offered to organize the event. Although Martín is still in the US, neighbors decided to continue with the tradition, and Aguilar's son, José Martín, a student in his mid-20s, has now joined the group in his father's place. One of José Martín's tasks is to cut the chamomile and cover the two-kilometer path to Calvary, the hilltop site of the crucifixion.

According to José Merced, approximately 35 neighbors now participate in the pageant. The costumes and accessories are made or purchased by the participants and friends, and everyone involved contributes to the expenses.

The reenactment of the Via Crucis begins on Holy Thursday at 7pm at the San Luis Rey church, in Venustiano Carranza street, with the ceremony in which Jesus (played by Javier Araiza) washes his disciples's feet. Next is the Last Supper with the 12 apostles.

The group then moves into the street to reenact the betrayal of Jesus.

At 9am on Good Friday morning the Passion continues at the San Luis Rey church with the trial before Pontius Pilate (played by Eligio Zamora) and the release of Barrabas. A Roman soldier then flogs Jesus 40 times on his bare back with a whip made of mecate (woven horse hair).

The Via Crucis, with Jesus carrying the 65-kilogram wooden cross, begins. The procession winds through cobblestone streets covered with chamomile for two kilometers.

The barefoot Christ, dressed only in a loincloth and covered with a red robe, is flogged relentlessly on the back as he carries the cross to the place of crucifixion, Montes de Loreto. The two thieves, Dimas and Gestas, walk alongside Jesus, both tied by the arms to a piece of timber. Along the way, Christ meets his mother and Veronica, who cleans his face with her shroud. He will also fall three times. The procession lasts about an hour and a half, culminating with Christ's being tied to the cross in a simulated crucifixion. Large nails are bent toward his hands to simulate nailing. The two thieves are also hung on smaller crosses. The three men remain on the crosses for approximately half an hour. In a nearby tree, Judas's hanged body rocks from side to side.

Javier owns a grocery store across from the church of San Luis Rey. Three years ago, when he was a participant in a pastorela (a Mexican Christmas play) at the church, Martín Aguilar invited him to play Christ in the Via Crucis that he was planning for Holy Week.

This year marks Javier's third portrayal of Christ in the San Luis Rey Via Crucis. "To play Christ is a wonderful feeling," said Javier. "It is an indescribable sensation to be up there on the cross, to have all eyes fixed on you." Although Javier walks barefoot over the cobblestone street, he says he has a sensation of freshness while walking over the chamomile spread along the way. Javier is in good physical condition from playing football every Sunday, so he does not feel he needs special training to play Christ. Nevertheless, he says he does feel tired after the performance, mainly due to the lashing he receives along the way. "I like to play Christ and consider it a great honor," he says. "I do it to thank and honor Our Lord for all His sufferings."

Don Eligio, who works in construction and as a night watchman, has played Pontius Pilate since the first reenactment in San Luis Rey.

He likes to participate in the Via Crucis and he does it with great fervor-but he does not like the moment when he condemns Jesus and washes his hands. "But I have to do it because it is my role," he says.

Virgin Mary (Elizabeth Ramírez, 18)

This is the first appearance of Elizabeth as the Virgin Mary. She is single and helps her mother at home. In previous years, she has participated in the Via Crucis in the role of Veronica, the woman who cleans Christ's face with her shroud.

Elizabeth says it is a great experience for her to play the Mother of Jesus. "What I like best is when the Virgin Mary meets her Son at one of the Via Crucis stations," she says. "I feel like crying at that moment."

Judas (José Manuel Aguilar, 15)

In previous years, José Manuel, a student, participated in the performance, but in no specific role. This year, with no eager volunteers to play the treacherous disciple, he offered himself for the part-not for a special reason but because he wanted to have a specific role.

He says he feels bad for having to betray Jesus. "Judas realized he did wrong for having sold his master for money, and that's why he repented and hanged himself," said José Manuel. He explained that he will tie himself by the waist to a tree, and then put a rope around his neck to simulate the hanging of Judas, for about 45 minutes.

The executioner (Jacinto Velázquez, 31)

Jacinto, a glass and brass artisan, plays the executioner who gives Christ the 40 lashes. He has participated in the Via Crucis since the very beginning.

"I feel bad for having to flog Christ, but I get into my role and I imagine he is a bad man. That's how I do it," said Jacinto.

Peter (Octaviano Trejo, 42)

Octaviano, a construction worker, has portrayed Peter during the past three years. He feels a great respect when he plays Peter, and confesses he feels like crying when he denies Christ.

Via Crucis (The Stations of the Cross)

1.- Christ condemned to death

2.- the Cross is laid upon him

3.- His first fall

4.- He meets His Blessed Mother

5.- Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross

6.- Christ's face is wiped by Veronica

7.- His second fall

8.- He meets the women of Jerusalem

9.- His third fall

10.- He is stripped of His garments

11.- His crucifixion

12.- His death on the cross

13.- His body is taken down from the cross

14.- His body laid in the tomb.

An attempted break-in at a woman's Guadiana home was foiled by her rapid reaction and call to the police. Last Friday, April 7, at 4am, a man attempted to break into the home of a woman who was raped in February.

According to the police report, two officers arrived immediately, after the victim called the emergency number, 066. The report stated that a passing taxi driver stopped when he heard a woman calling for help. The driver told officers he saw a man of robust build, dressed in dark clothing and approximately 1.65 meters tall, running away.

The victim declared that she heard noises at the back door, as well as glass breaking, and corroborated the taxi driver's statement.

Assistant police chief Bruno Galicia ordered extra vigilance in colonia Guadiana and in other colonias such as San Antonio, Atascadero, Balcones and San Rafael. Six officers have been assigned to each of these colonias: two in a police car, two on horseback, one on foot and one on a motorcycle. From now on, an extra police officer will be patrolling every block on foot during weekends.

Neither Galicia nor police chief Elías Drago would confirm whether the intruder was the rapist sought for the rape of four foreign-born women since October 2005. Agents from the Public Ministry investigating the case were unavailable for comment.

If you are questioned by a police officer

If you are questioned by police officers or ministerial police agents, Police Chief Drago and Assistant Police Chief Galicia recommend that you request an official identification and look for the following elements.

Ministerial police carry identification cards printed with official seals, a purple banner and a photo of the officer in uniform and are signed by the State Attorney Daniel Chowell.

Local preventive police carry cards with official seals, the "Juntos somos más" logo and a photo of the officer in uniform and are signed by the former mayor, Luis Alberto Villarreal, and Public Security Director Elias Drago.

Full-scale Neighborhood Watch organizing drive
By Carol Schmidt

As of April 5, 28 members of the foreign community had signed up with the Police Department's Foreign Community Assistance Office to help organize Neighborhood Watch programs throughout San Miguel.

Miguel Kegel, director of the office, met with the Community Security Committee to bring members of the foreign community up to speed on progress in crime prevention efforts.

That same afternoon, the first meeting was scheduled, for the 28 expats and the 70 presidents of the San Miguel colonias, for an initial Neighborhood Watch training program.

"Not all colonia presidents are equally involved and enthusiastic about organizing Neighborhood Watch programs throughout their colonias," Officer Kegel noted. "Those who are not now involved will be contacted personally and urged to become involved.

"Even if only one person on one block is willing to go door-to-door to bring neighbors together to discuss crime prevention, that is a big step forward," Kegel said. Los Frailes and San Rafael are the neighborhoods with the most organization underway so far.

Anyone who has not yet gotten involved is urged to call Kegel during business hours at his nonemergency number, 152-2890, or email him at jmk.fca.pd@gmail.com. (The 152-2890 number is also for volunteering to become involved in working with youth programs, another aspect of crime prevention.)

Kegel's emergencies-only phone number, particularly for non-Spanish-speakers who need assistance in reporting a crime or having a crime prosecuted, is 044-415-103-4363. The general city emergency phone number is 066, and the city is working on having bilingual assistance available for that number as well.

Fabiola García, assistant to Cristobal Finkelstein, director of economic development and tourism, said that a list of all bilingual personnel in city administration has been compiled and circulated among city offices so that it should be much easier for non-Spanish-speakers to obtain assistance from the city. "Of course, it is important that those choosing to live in Mexico should learn Spanish."

There is a new email address for the Municipal International Relations Office under Héctor Quiroz:

relacionesinternacionales@sanmiguelallende.gob.mx

The office phone number for both Finkelstein and Quiroz is 120-4528 or 120-4529.

No further progress has been made in capturing the serial rapist who assaulted four foreign women between early October and early February, Kegel said. Since at the time of the April 5 meeting there had been no more rapes in two months, many thought the rapist might have left the area. "That is not the feeling in our office."

"We have not let up on our efforts at all," Kegel said. The additional police patrols in areas where foreign women live alone continue. "It is very important that we not let the momentum die. I hope that all of San Miguel will continue to be concerned about rapes and other crimes and will join the Neighborhood Watch program as the best way they can fight crime on their own blocks."

As the city develops, it can only be expected that more criminals will follow the money, committee members agreed. Representatives noted that they are seeing signs of progress, such as police officers on horseback being an effective deterrent to groups of youths gathering at night.

Others reported that they have noticed the additional visibility of foot patrols in many areas of the city.

Kegel is meeting with all colonia presidents in their neighborhoods to get block captains signed up with the city. "We need to have a diagram of the flow of information within each community so that we can get out information quickly and also receive accurate and timely crime statistics from each block.

"We have stickers for windows and cars for each area registered with Neighborhood Watch," Kegel said. "We want to know which cars belong on each block.

"We are also going to contact all the stores and businesses in each neighborhood, because local stores are often hubs of information. A store owner can persuade a customer to join a Neighborhod Watch program perhaps better than anyone else, and crime prevention will help everyone in the neighborhood. The stores will have posters with Neighborhood Watch meeting information.

"We are also going to concentrate on stores that may sell alcohol to minors or after hours in susceptible areas as another way of attacking the problem."

One suggestion from the meeting is to have the Neighborhood Watch organizing meetings be in the form of parties, perhaps with a potluck. There could be some sort of incentive to get everyone on the block to the party, where they will also hear about Neighborhood Watch. "Mexicans hate parties," Kegel said with a straight face.

"If anything good can come out of this horrible situation, it will be to have Mexican and foreign community neighbors start talking to each other and working together to improve their neighborhoods," Kegel said.

Carol Schmidt moved to San Miguel with her partner of 27 years, Norma Hair, in 2002, and their website, www.fallinginlovewithsanmiguel.org , subtitled "Retiring to Mexico on Social Security," includes their blogs, SMA FAQs, news, forums and photos. Carol is a former newspaper reporter, magazine editor, PR director and author of three lesbian mysteries published by Naiad.