Parroquia de la Purificación de Nuestra Señora La Candelaria Mixcoac

Did the ancient goddess Cihuacóatl ever imagine her shrine would become the Parroquia de la Purificación de Nuestra Señora La Candelaria Mixcoac? We stand before this church, a blend of centuries and cultures. It’s known as La Candelaria, a vital part of Tacubaya. The year 1590 is etched into its very stones, yet the Dominicans likely occupied this spot as early as 1556. Imagine the indigenous people, whose names are inscribed on the arches, toiling to build this church. They unknowingly layered a new faith upon an older one, replacing Cihuacóatl, the goddess of midwives, with Nuestra Señora de la Purificación. The original 16th-century structure peeks through in the pilgrim’s entrance with its three arches and the simple, two-bodied main entrance. The atrium, shaded by mature ash trees, offers a peaceful respite from the bustling city. Inside the Parroquia de la Purificación de Nuestra Señora La Candelaria Mixcoac, the baroque altars are gone, replaced by a simpler aesthetic. Three side chapels remain. The two-story cloister, with its Tuscan columns and intricately carved arches, whispers stories of the Dominican friars who once resided here. Gaze upon the main altar, where a painting depicts the Virgin’s purification. A wooden sculpture from the 18th century portrays her cradling the child Jesus. Within these walls lies María Inés de Jáuregui, who, with her young daughter, witnessed the 1808 arrest of her husband, Viceroy José de Iturrigaray, branded a traitor for his role in the political turmoil surrounding José Bonaparte’s reign in Spain. Just south of the Parroquia de la Purificación de Nuestra Señora La Candelaria Mixcoac, on what is now Mártires de la Conquista, a chilling legend lingers. Locals once whispered of ghostly apparitions, human skeletons writhing in the night sky, their cries echoing through the streets. Were they victims of the Inquisition seeking refuge in Tacubaya? The Dominicans, it is said, performed exorcisms, perhaps even washing the street in holy water, to quell the spectral unrest. This church, La Candelaria, stands as a testament to the enduring power of faith, a place where history and spirituality intertwine.