The Nativity Scene

The Nativity Scene. It’s one of the most popular scenes throughout the Christmas season and can be found all over the world. I always had several Nativities when I was a little girl. It’s something you find at many homes in El Salvador as well. It’s different at each house and location. Some Nativities are huge while others are much smaller. But they are always filled with love.

This year I got to experience the creation of the Nativity at the Pastoral House. The Nativity took several hours to create and I was able to help with a couple things as well as capture the process with photos. The emphasis in many Nativities in El Salvador is on living plants. I watched as Blanca and Jesús dragged all sorts of plants into the chapel from the back yard. I went around the yard searching for rocks. We unpacked a couple boxes where things are stored for the Nativity and also placed a couple new pieces in the Nativity.

Before I knew it, the Nativity was finished. The only thing missing was baby Jesus. But he was deliberately left out of the Nativity. It is not until Christmas Day that they place the baby Jesus in the manger. It’s a truly beautiful tradition and a beautiful Nativity.

Making room in the chapel

Just the beginning

In storage

Here we go

What I found in storage

Putting up plants

And even more plants

Looking good

Adding a path to the manger

Is it done?

An angel given to the Team by a delegation

A piece purchased this year at Nina Luz's shop

I love the Nativity in the cantaro

Adding a little more

Can you tell what's been added?

Complete with poinsettias and presents

Merry Christmas to all the communities in Berlin

May God bless you always

More nativities I saw this Christmas season

At someone's home in Berlin

At a home in the cantons

In the park in Berlin

The stage in Berlin

In Alegria

A second nativity in Alegria

Virgin of Guadalupe procession video

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Monday, 12-12-11

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a procession. And if you’ve read my blog before you know that I love a good procession. Well, today was my day. Today we were celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and there was going to be a procession after mass in her honor. In El Salvador, children and sometimes adults get dressed up on this day in indigenous dress. I wasn’t aware of this until I saw several children coming to the park dressed up. They do this because the Virgin appeared to San Juan Diego, who was an indigenous man who had converted to Catholicism.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Here is some information about Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is a celebrated Roman Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary. Under this title, she is officially proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church as the Patroness of Americas, Empress of Latin America, and Protectress of the Unborn Children.

According to Roman Catholic tradition, on December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, a recently converted Aztec indigenous peasant, had a vision of a young woman while he was on a hill in the Tepeyac desert, near Mexico City. The lady asked him to build a church exactly on the spot where they were standing. He told the local Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, who asked for proof in exchange.

Juan Diego went back later and saw the lady again. He told her that the bishop wanted proof, and she instructed Juan Diego to go to the mountain top, where he found Castillian roses, which were native to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga's hometown and could not possibly bloom during wintertime. Juan Diego cut the roses, placed them in his apron-like tilma and returned to the bishop; an imprint of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on the tilma from the residue of the soil and roses.

Today, the icon is displayed in the nearby Basilica of Guadalupe, now one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world. The Virgin of Guadalupe is Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image, with the titles “Queen of Mexico,” “Empress of the Americas,” and “Patroness of the Americas.” Both Miguel Hidalgo (in the Mexican War of Independence) and Emiliano Zapata (during the Mexican Revolution) carried flags bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Guadalupe Victoria, the first Mexican president, changed his name in honor of the icon.

Photos from the procession:

Before the procession

The church in Berlin

Very handsome

These are my little friends from the park

The Virgin of Guadalupe

A crowd begins to gather

Lots of people

Beautiful dresses

This little girl looks like a doll

Amazing eyes

Too cute

The flowers complete the outfits

Aminta's grandson

Leaving the church

We're ready

Heading to the where the procession will begin

Here comes Father Jacobo

This little guy walked with us

Dresses with the Virgin on them

Getting in place

One of my students

There's the float!

Leaving the church

From the back

The Virgin

These guys stood the whole way

The procession was more than an hour

Walking along

Carrying torches at the front of the procession

People followed behind the float

It was a beautiful night

Take our picture, please!