EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



193 



of ease, all of which showed clearly that God 

 had intended the image for Tzintzuntzan, and 

 that it was divine will that guided the steps of 

 the wandering animal." Subsequently the Santo 

 Entierro grew from its former moderate stature 

 to its present large size, necessitating the re- 

 modeling of the urn with a glass extension at 

 the foot to contain the feet. Even so, when at 

 rest the image is cramped and the knees must be 

 slightly bent. 



Beyond the Santo is a life-sized figure of a 

 woman, the Virgin known as La Purisima. Her 

 brown hair falls over her blue robe, drawn in 

 at the waist with a gold cord, covering a white 

 satin dress. She stands on a blue wooden ball 

 from which protrude the while heads of angels. 

 Just to the right of the main altar is the Virgen 

 de los Dolores, also called La Senora de los Do- 

 lores, a life-sized figure wearing a black dress 

 trimmed in gold, with a white veil topped with a 

 golden crown. La Virgen de la Soledad, the 

 chapel's own Virgin, occupies an alcove directly 

 above the main altar. She is dressed in the same 

 way as the Virgin de los Dolores. To the left of 

 the altar stands a life-sized image of San Fran- 

 cisco, clad in a brown robe with a white cord, 

 a silver halo supported on a rod above his head. 

 His arms are folded, and in the right hand is a 

 crucifix and in the left a human skull. 



The left-hand altar, facing the Monument to 

 the Holy Sacrament, is occupied by a large 

 painting 4 m. wide of Nuestro Senor del Rescate, 

 in whose honor the major fiesta of the year is 

 given. Christ stands handcuffed, naked to the 

 waist. Mary Magdalene and the Virgin kneel 

 in the left foreground, while Jews are seated 

 in the right foreground. To the rear stand Pi- 

 late and several soldiers. 



Farther back along the left wall, on a table, 

 is a 60-cm. figure of San Isidro, patron of farm- 

 ers, clad in black knee boots, yellow pants, blue 

 tunic and brown coat, his folded hands raised in 

 supplication. He is accompanied by the "angel," 

 a smaller figure clad in huaraches, blue pants, 

 and red coat, which walks behind two brown and 

 white painted wooden oxen which pull a crude 

 plow. 



2 This story seems to be part of ttie folklore of Mexico. 

 Rea (pp. 22!i-231) tells about a famous image of the Virgin 

 in Zitaciiaro that arrived on muleliack at the church, destined 

 for another town. But the mule could not be urged on, so 

 the villagers knew that the Lord intended the image to stay 

 at that place. 



Finally, one on each side of the entry door, 

 are two large crosses to which are permanently 

 impaled life-size wooden figures, nude except 

 for blue silk shorts held up with elastic waist 

 bands. These are the images of the thieves cru- 

 cified with Christ on Calvary, and are used in 

 the Easter Week celebrations. That to the right 

 of the door is San Dimas, and that to the left, 

 San Gestas. 



RELIGIOUS PERSONNEL 



THE PRIEST AND HIS AIDES 



In 1945 the resident priest was Father Eduar- 

 do Tovar, a Tarascan Indian of 65 years. He 

 came shortly after the burning of the parish 

 church in 1944, and immediately endeared him- 

 self to the people by announcing that he wanted 

 to learn the customs of the town, and that he did 

 not wish to interfere with any of the established 

 fiestas or ceremonies. LTnlike some Michoacan 

 priests, including his immediate predecessor, he 

 is not at all fanatical, and avoids politics in his 

 sermons, contenting himself with simple lectures 

 on the value of truth, honesty, the importance of 

 the family, faithfulness to one's spouse, and the 

 evils of drink. Likewise he announced that he 

 would not support the Sinarquista school which 

 the previous priest had maintained in the con- 

 vent. The Government school, he said, was one 

 of the finest in the State, its teachings were not 

 communistic, and it was much better equipped 

 to instruct the children of the town than any 

 private institution. 



Father Tovar lives in a part of the old con- 

 vent, and has as housekeepers three nieces. The 

 official family also includes a sacristan, a local 

 boy of 22 selected by the priest after his arrival. 

 Three lay councils function to safeguard and 

 promote the interests and property of the Church. 

 Each has its president, secretary, treasurer, and 

 several vocales. The Junta Vecinal ("Neigh- 

 borhood Council") is supposed to protect the 

 interests of the Church, and to maintain rela- 

 tions with the State and Federal governments. 

 The Junta Parroquial ("Parochial Council") 

 was established after the religious presecutions 

 of the late 1920's to reestablish the functions of 

 the Church and to make sure the priest lacked 

 neither food nor funds. The Junta de Obras 

 Materiales ("Council of Material Works") was 



