Las Guadalupan as Speak

Abstract

Clara’s words are telling in that her story reveals what an essential role the social construction of religious and ethnic identity plays in popular Catholicism. The Shrine marks Our Lady of Guadalupe’s sacred dwelling for the Guadalupanas; it is their cultural and religious home. In the Shrine, the members of the society feel at home and sense a strong connection to Our Lady of Guadalupe, their past, and their families and friends. It connects the residents of the Westside, the parishioners with their Mexican identity and is a central part of their cultural memory. Clara’s words also reveal part of the tension found within her religious context: on one side to empower female agency, by giving her a sense of belonging and feeling supported, and on the other side, to limit it, allowing her to return to a childlike state. In this chapter, I present the data from the Guadalupanas collected through a questionnaire and personal interviews. In chapter 4, I analyze their interviews using grounded theory and develop salient themes that illustrate their central faith beliefs and practices.

I had trouble when they [the bishop and his staff] first decided to merge Our Lady of Guadalupe parish with Sacred Heart parish. I started crying because it was not expected; it was a shock. When I enter the Shrine, I feel [I am] coming home because any time [I] go in, I always feel like I return to my childhood. And, I am one in the Virgin’s eyes. I remember a couple of years ago during a Guadalupana celebration I was in the pew by myself. Feeling a little awkward, I looked up at the Virgin’s picture above the altar. I knew that everything was going to be okay. Understanding that sometimes we are called to step out of our comfort zone, but we are not alone. She calls us to service of her Son. And, as more Guadalupanas arrived, they joined me in the pew. And we share [our faith] and we welcome [each other], just as our families before us. When I go in the Shrine, I can go back to when I was a small child, and the peacefulness found that so many [others] have sought and felt. [I] know that nothing else matters.

Clara, a Guadalupana¹