Question: What if faith demanded the impossible? Here before us stands Iglesia Jerusalén. It is a testament to a community’s unwavering belief and a leader’s controversial vision. The story of Nueva Jerusalén is not just about religion. It is a gripping saga of faith, division, and survival against all odds.
Nueva Jerusalén was founded in 1973. It started as a religious enclave within the municipality of Turicato. The vision of an old woman was the driving force. She transmitted orders from the Virgin of the Rosary. These orders were directed to the parish priest of Puruarán. He was to create a community protected by divinity.
The priest became known as “Papá Nabor”. The old woman was called “Mamá Salomé”. The Catholic Church excommunicated Papá Nabor. Their religion forbade many things. Reading newspapers was prohibited. Owning a computer was not allowed. Watching television and listening to the radio or music were banned. Organizing boisterous dances was forbidden. Smoking and drinking alcohol were also prohibited. Most sports involving a round ball were forbidden. They thought the ball’s shape resembled the planet. Playing with it was like kicking the Earth. American football was the exception because the ball’s shape is an ovoid. Men could not have long hair or wear earrings. Those things were considered feminine. Women had to dress like the Virgin Mary. This meant wearing a veil and a long skirt. The skirt had to cover their feet or a tunic. They could not show their chest or arms.
This community’s rules were dictated by a spiritual leader. This broke the country’s constitutional laws. The people living here rejected technological progress. They claimed it was the work of an evil being. Papá Nabor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2000. This made it hard for him to move. There were disputes among the parish priests in 2004. They accused Papá Nabor of manipulating people for popularity. This caused a division.
Papá Nabor did not attend the meeting due to his health. Some priests like Agapito also did not attend. Agapito became the town’s “seer” after María de Jesús. She was from Nuevo León. Bishop Martín de Tours would be in charge of La Ermita. Bishop Santiago would lead the “turbados” or “turulatos”. This group was more aligned with traditional Catholicism. They were less radical in their faith.
Papá Nabor was in poor health in early 2008. He was sent to a hospital in Morelia. A video showed him supposedly naming a successor named Martín de Tours. However Papá Nabor seemed to deny it in the video. There were actually two videos. One was in the hospital. The other was in the town. The church members protested after the video was shown. Papá Nabor died in February 2008 without naming a successor. Martín de Tours became the leader.
Religious conflicts arose in 2012. Followers of Martín de Tours destroyed the community’s schools after the school year ended. They censored secular education. There was another church school in Nueva Jerusalén. Some residents graduated as priests from it. The schools had opened in September 2007. Michoacán and federal education officials said the conflict was due to fanaticism. They tried to ensure the children of Nueva Jerusalén did not miss classes. They built temporary classrooms in La Injertada. Classes started on September 24.
Nueva Jerusalén faced adversity. It faced internal division. It faced external pressures. It remains a testament to the power of faith. It is a community’s resilience in the face of unrelenting challenges. As you stand here remember that every stone tells a story. Every tradition holds a secret. The story of Nueva Jerusalén is an ongoing chapter in the history of faith.