notes and reflections

Some of the bodies are contorted, twisted as though trying to avoid the inevitability of death. Most are naked but a few still have remnants of clothing: a pair of socks, shoes, a gown, one, a French doctor, is nearly completely dressed in leathers.  All are the color of dried plaster of Paris.  All have gaping mouths, open in what appears to be a scream of agony, caused by the shrinkage and retraction of facial skin and muscles.

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For the past several weeks, Morelianos have been building toward December 12, the day that celebrates the appearance in 1531, of the Virgin Mary to a simple Aztec farmer, Juan Diego. According to the legend, La Virgen Morena, the dark virgin, first showed herself to the humble peasant on December 9th, commanding him to approach the local Bishop with the request to build a church on the hill where the encounter took place.  When Juan Diego conveyed the message to the Bishop, he was met with scepticism and asked to provide proof of the vision. Three days later, on December 12th, the Virgin appeared again to Juan Diego, on the same hill, Tepeyac, located to the north of what is now Mexico City.  As proof, the Virgin told Juan Diego to pick the roses that, despite the cold weather, miraculously bloomed on the crest of the hill and take them to the Bishop.  This Juan Diego did, gathering the roses in his cloak.  When he presented them to the Bishop an image of the Virgin was revealed on the inside of his cloak. This cloak, similar to the Shroud of Turin with its image of Christ, is still on display here in Mexico 576 years later. 

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