143. The Cathedrals of Puebla

The Cathedrals of Puebla: In Chiang Mai, Thailand, we overheard a conversation between a backpacker and an excitable local woman who spoke English. “Do you know where I can find the Jade Buddha Temple?” the backpacker asked. “The what?!” the woman replied. “You have to be more specific. We have 350 temple in this town!” We were overwhelmed by the active number of religious monuments in that city, even though we spent two weeks there. With fewer days in the 70-church city of Puebla, the feeling was similar, and encouraged by the near constant ringing of mass bells.

Amy: Mass bells again!
Me: There’s always a mass.
Amy: You can’t swing a stick in this town without hitting a mass!
Me: I wonder what that would look like, hitting a mass.

The churches in Puebla come in every shape and size, all of them Catholic, the grandest of them being featured prominently on Mexico’s 500 Peso note and the smallest of them looking a lot like some living rooms I’ve seen in the Bronx. All of them have graphic, bloody crucifix scenes staged inside. Many of them have nuns walking around. None of them have mass in English, but we faked our way through a couple just for giggles, Amy doing most of the giggling at me because I am so awkwardly un-Catholic. Still, all of them were worth a look but we only made it into maybe ten. That has to count for something, right? I’m talking to you, Jesus.

 

  1. The Chez says:
    November 9, 2007 at 8:44 am

    Most of them have a Jesus in a glass coffin. It’s odd. But, hey, if you don’t agree, they may treat you like the Spaniards treated them!

  2. Sloan says:
    November 9, 2007 at 9:12 am

    Amy has a hilarious fear of those Jesus In A Glass Coffin displays. Every time we approach one, she’ll grab my arm and say something like, “I swear to God, if that thing moves I’m gonna lose my mind!”

  3. The Chez says:
    November 14, 2007 at 12:58 pm

    You should see the one at the big church in Valladolid. He’s got a boner.