San Patricio by the Sea, an interdenominational community church on Mexico's Pacific coast

San Patricio by the Sea on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Age-old question: Were great churches built to the glory of God or to satisfy puffed-up egos of men? Mexico has many magnificent cathedrals in a variety of architectural styles and craftsmanship, some with spires and bell towers reaching for the sky, some featuring spectacular art, some with lavish decorations, some of historical significance, some tourist […]

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Religion In Latin America: A Documentary History

By Lee M. Penyak and Walter J. Petry Orbis Books, 2006 Available from Amazon Books: Paperback Boring, I thought, when I first saw the title. Fascinating, I thought, after I had finished looking through it. Religion in America is published by Orbis Books, which “endeavors to publish works that enlighten the mind, nourish the spirit, and challenge […]

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The following morning after a campfire breakfast, the group breaks camp and prepares for another long hike.

Pilgrimage from San Miguel de Allende to San Juan de los Lagos in 1967

Founded in 1542, San Juan de los Lagos is set in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, an area distinguished by its devotion to the Roman Catholic faith. The Cathedral there is home to the diminutive image of the Virgin of the Immaculate Concepcion. Since 1623, numberless miracles have been attributed to the little Virgin, […]

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The passion of Christ in Ixtapalapa

The passion of Christ in Ixtapalapa, a Mexico City neighborhood

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 Mexico City, young men – some in the dress of the Jerusalem of 2000 years ago – shuffle by hurriedly. Many […]

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Mennonite country

The Mennonites: a Dutch heritage in Mexico

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 coffee brown. Enjoying an ensalada de frutas in a comedor in Merida during my second visit to Mexico I noticed a lady. Her extremely pale face; […]

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