Father Alonso Ponce and Friar Antonio de Ciudad Real were probably Mexico's first ever tourists. Father Alonso Ponce de León arrived in Veracruz in September 1584 and spent the next five years travel... read more

Our main sources of information on pre-Hispanic religion in Mesoamerica include archaeological monuments and Classic murals, as well as Landa's Relación and ethnological reports of surviving religious... read more

The pictures here were taken in the church in the old mining town of Real de Catorce, in San Luis Potosi.  There is a side room of the church dedicated to exvotos. 

read more

Cata, Guanajuato This is part of one wall of the church in Cata, near the town of Guanajuato.  When I visited in 1996, the walls were completely covered with exvotos to a height o... read more

Religion in Latin America: A Documentary History   By Lee M. Penyak and Walter J. Petry Orbis Books, 2006   Available from Amazon Books: Paperback Reviewed by James Tipton © Ja... read more

Between the birth and the death came a crazy-quilt of only-in-Mexico experiences that resonated with my memories Daniel Pérez González was a beautiful baby. His parents Flor and Jo... read more

Olvera has been teaching a choir in Santa Ana Tepetitlan, for boys aged six to 13 years old, five days a week for the last 23 years. The first time I hear the choir Ninos Cantores d... read more

The first traces of an awakening sun touch the morning horizon, brushing aside the night's long shadows. On the streets of Ixtapalapa, a working class neighborhood 30 minutes by cab from the center of ... read more

LENT is very important in the lives of all Mexicans who profess the Catholic faith, and in a very special way the people of Ajijic. Lent means a time of penance, conversion, prayer and of ... read more

All Saints Lutheran Church Worship Service 10:30 a.m 4600 Avenida Tepeyac, Guad. Tel. (013)121-67-41 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Services in English and Spanish ,10 am. Riberas del P... read more

Strolling through street markets, browsing the tourist stalls, visitors to all parts of Mexico see mountains of goods featuring the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. As tourists observe the impossibly ... read more

Each year on May 3rd processions of singing pilgrims carrying streamers and flowers wend their way through towns, cities and villages of Mexico to decorate the crosses along roadsides and on mountainto... read more

For many years, villages and towns in Mexico, have enacted special Biblical events and gathered to pray at specially erected altars to celebrate sacred figures on each of the Fridays of Lent. These spe... read more

My fascination with life and accomplishments of Santa Elena came to me accidentally this year, as I struggled to unravel the traditions and customs of one of Mexico's most popular Feast Days-May 3rd, t... read more

"People unfamiliar with the Latin culture are curious, confused, and sometimes repulsed by the emphasis on suffering in religious figures. During Easter in North America, the focus is on the resurrection and the delights of spring. The event is concerned with the awe of transformation. There is resistance to facing the suffering that is a major part of this epic…." read more

The Setting Curanderismo The Inhabitants The Physical and Psychological Compadrazco The Beginning Love Is In the Air "I Do" The End of the Game Works Cited ... read more

Santa Semana (Easter week) captured center stage last month in Ajijic. For me, it was a chance to really appreciate both the Mexican customs as well as enjoying some from back home. The celebrations o... read more

Isabella Tree tells about her solitary travels to various parts of Mexico. Is this becoming a sort of literary sub-category - single ladies taking on the world? This book largely consists of a half dozen essays covering specific geographic areas that Ms. Tree visited, including Mexico City, Chiapas and Lake Pátzcuaro. My own personal favorite was "Holy Week," the one on San Miguel de Allende. read more

The story is based on an actual event in Mexican history when, in 1926, then President Calles began a persecution of the Roman Catholic Church by burning churches and killing priests and, in general, creating a Godless country. The reason for the persecution was what the government called the Church's greed and debauchery. The campaign was more successful in some states than in others. Tabasco was the most rabid persecutor and the Governor, Tomas Garrido Canabal, actually drove every priest out of the state. Canabal was determined to show that a well-run society was possible without allowing any place for religion. Churches were destroyed and the stones used to pave roads. To protect the populace he also outlawed alcohol and jazz. The importation of saxophones was banned. One follower was so devoted to the cause he carried a business card which explained that he was the personal enemy of God. In some cases a citizen could be severely penalized for saying "Adios" simply because it referred to God. read more

The diversity of the Mexican population never ceases to amaze me. Whether being in Mexico City, Mazatlan, Oaxaca or Palenque I always admire the beautiful Mexican faces ranging from light to mocha to c... read more