Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos is calling. This chapel in Mexico City is named after her. It is not old. Yet it lends its name to the entire neighborhood: Santa Juanita. Technically, it’s the larger Colonia 20 de noviembre. “Santa Juanita” refers to the park and market areas immediately surrounding it. The park was nicely refinished as of 2022. The public market was refurbished, becoming one of the nicest in Mexico City.
The Capilla de San Juan de los Lagos was built between 1947 and 1977. Just a quick visit shows how it dominates the surrounding landscape. The cult of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos is a particularly Mexican tale. She appears in many classic votive paintings.
Let me tell you the story behind the name of the Capilla de San Juan de los Lagos. It begins with a Spanish priest. He carried a statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception to a village in Jalisco in 1543. The town was then called San Juan Bautista Mezquititlan. Its name would change to San Juan de Los Lagos in 1623. According to the local people, a traveling acrobat stopped in the town at about that time. His act included swinging from a trapeze above swords and knives. His daughter fell onto these knives. She was mortally wounded.
The acrobat and his wife moved her young body to the Chapel of Our Lady of San Juan. They hoped for last rites. A caretaker placed the child next to the statue of the Virgin. The child was entirely healed. It was the first of numerous miracles attributed to the statue. Mexico City has about a half dozen churches dedicated to Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos. The country as a whole has many more.
The Santa Juanita Church is a major landmark. The market and the park are nearby. It is a safe and curious place to find oneself. The nearest metro stations are Eduardo Molina and Canal del Norte. Each is roughly a 15-minute walk away from the Capilla de San Juan de los Lagos.
Remember the story of the acrobat’s daughter. Remember the miracle. This Capilla de San Juan de los Lagos reminds us of faith. It reminds us of hope. It stands as a testament to the power of belief in Mexico City.