The Procession (Please
also see index of terms below)
During the procession, the Santo (Señor de Mapimí) is carried from the Mission Church
by the current and new Mayordomos throughout the community for all to see.
The path of the procession is lined with arches. The procession is lead by two candle lantern bearers and the Señor
de Mapimí banner. They are followed by the Danzantes performing the traditional danzas.
Then comes the Santo in its cradle carried by the Mayordomos, with the current Mayordomos in front.
During the procession other volunteers will help carry the Santo, but the Santo must be taken from and returned to the church only by the current and new Mayordomos. Following the Santo are the Reazador (prayer leader), choir, and parishioners.
The procession is done twice, once after the evening Visperas (vespers) on Friday and again after the Fiesta Mass.
The evening procession is lighted by luminarias. Luminarias are small fires lighting the way on both sides of the road.
They are made with a special dry, aged pine called ocote. Church bells are rung to signal the exit and entrance of the Santo from the church. During the procession the Danzantes perform three different dances.
The Fiesta lunch is traditionally served by the Mayordomos. The lunch is followed by the Ensaya Real.
The Ensaya Real is a group of dances performed by the Danzantes. The Entrega follows the Ensaya Real.
The Entrega is when the current Mayordomos pass the Santo to the incoming Mayordomos.
This is followed by the Brindis, which is the toast made to both sets of Mayordomos.
The Entrega
Each year the Entrega is composed and sung by the Entregador or Entregadora.
The song is the official giving or turning over of the Saint to the new Mayordomos.
The song is sung by one person with the congregation responding. It is written about the events of the day and is composed of verses that mention the current Mayordomos, the families of the Mayordomos, the Danzantes, the Malinche, the
Monarcha, etc. At the end of the song, the current Mayordomos take the Santo to the altar where upon the Danzantes pay their respects and say farewell to the Fiesta of Señor de Mapimí.
This signifies the end of the festivities as the new Mayordomos have been formally installed.
Los Matachines
The Matachines perform the "Ensaye", which is an ancient moral play performed during New Mexico village fiestas.
It is the story of the struggle between good and evil.
"Los Matachines" is a derivation of an Arabic word "mudduajjihn" which means "mute spirits".
The very beginnings of Los Matachines have been traced to Spain during the period that the Moors were being expelled.
The struggle against the Moors started in 711 A.D. and continued for 780 Years.
In 1492, in Granada, Spain, the last of the Moorish strongholds was taken by the Christians.
This was around the time of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, and of El Cid Campeador (Rodrigo Díaz de Bivar) who dealt the Moors their final defeat which rid Spain of their rule.
The Ensaye and Los Matachines came to the New World in 1519 via Cortez.
To the north of Granada, Spain is the village of Santa Fe where, in 1503, an unknown playwright penned the play "The Battle of the Christians and the Moors."
This drama recounts the story of the Great Sultan who asked Prince Selín to steal the Holy Cross from the Spaniards.
Prince Selín sends his servant Mohammed to take the cross. The Spaniards are so adamant in their loss of their Holy Cross that finally, they recaptured it.
The Great Sultan renounced his crescent moon and is converted to Christianity.
The Spaniards brought this play to Mexico after the conquest of the Aztec.
The play was presented to the Indians in hopes of converting them to Christianity.
This was not overly successful, but the costumes and the ritual enchanted the natives.
In Mexico the story was changed to fit the local customs. The custom made its way to New Mexico by the Padres who accompanied the conquistadores in search of Cibola, the seven cities of gold.
The dance was first performed in New Mexico by the Spanish colonists at San Juan Pueblo in 1598.
The group passed what is now the city of Torreón, Mexico proceeding on to La Sierra de Jimulco.
There they placed Señor de Mapimí beneath a tree and covered him with limbs.
They felt He would be safe until they could return. Later in the year the image was discovered by a company of soldiers.
The soldiers said that the Santo was being cared for by a Christian Indian woman.
On August 6, 1715 Señor de Mapimí was carried to Cunecamé, Mexico, which was the closest safe settlement.
The image has been venerated since it arrived at the San Antonio de Padua church in Cunecamé, Mexico and is credited with many miracles.
Thousands of pilgrims come from all over Mexico each year on August 6 for the fiesta.
Veneration of Señor de Mapimí has spread north along the Camino Real to Northern Mexico, New Mexico and Southern Colorado as evidenced in the various alabados (places of praise).
Through the first half of the 19th century New Mexicans made annual trading expeditions to the south going as far as Guadalajara stopping at shrines along the way.
La Fiesta
In San Antonito, New Mexico, the Fiesta is celebrated each year, usually on the third Saturday in September.
The Fiesta begins with the Novena, which are prayer services starting nine days prior to the day of the Fiesta.
The Visperas (Vespers) is held the Friday night before Fiesta. A procession follows the evening Visperas and the Mass on the day of the Fiesta.
The Mayordomos
The Mayordomos are faithful and devoted volunteers (usually a married couple) who are charged with the responsibility of caring for and maintaining the mission church.
They also help lead the congregation spiritually and prepare the church for masses, rosaries, novenas, and
posadas.
Los Matachines
Los Matachines donate their time and dance at the church fiestas for free.
They pay homage to the local church's patron saint. Los Matachines are organized by characters:
· El Monarca - The Monarch. This represents Montezuma and is the dance leader.
· La Malinche
- Montezuma's daughter. The little girl represents the spirit of purity and goodness and wears white.
· El Abuelo - Leader.
T he Abuelo represents the ancestral spirit of the Hispanic people.
· La Perijundia - Man dressed as a woman, wife of El Abulo represents temptation.
This character provides comic relief. He usually throws candy to the children.
· El Toro
-The Bull. He is the personification of evil.
· Los Danzantes
- Dancers which are eight in number.
· Los Capitanes
- Four in number two in front and two in back they are the line leaders.
Los Capitanes and Los Danzantes number twelve signifing the twelve apostles, the twelve bishops of Rome, and the twelve regions of Spain.
· Los Musicos
- A violinist and a guitarist who provide the music for the dancers.
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