Street walls turned into altars.

The Virgin of Guadalupe depicted on walls in the ‘popular’ colonies of the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Abstract

One virtue of many of the images of Catholic Saints and Virgins is that they resemble humans: they walk, they talk, they cry, they laugh and they are exhibited in the altars of the temples where the parishioners go; however, their images are also on display in the streets, they are the main focus in certain processions and are celebrated by the community as a whole. One of the said images that has descended from the altars of Catholic temples and been adopted by certain
communities to decorate the walls of their streets, and has thus –in effect– turned them into places of worship, is the Virgin of Guadalupe. Her image, nowadays depicted on walls, has become a constant presence in the life and faith of thousands of believers. In this paper, I address three aspects related to the said Virgin: her role in the history of Mexico, mainly throughout the Viceregal period; secondly, to the use of the image depicted in the format of votive offerings and, finally, I analyze the way in which this Virgin is currently depicted by believers on the walls of ‘popular’ neighborhoods in the city of San Luis Potosí, many of the said streets being characterized by the presence of organized gangs, or groups of young people on street corners. In this sense, the said image has contributed to the transformation of these places into spaces for community interaction, also creating a kind of haven in which both the neighbors and the local youths can express their faith, devotion and gratitude to their Patron Saint: the Virgin of Guadalupe.