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Editor’s Note: Magdalena Gallegos first wrote about the mural and its’ demise in The Weekly Issue/El Semanario on December 10, 2009 (read at www.elsemanario.net). Due to the lack of response by Our Lady of Guadalupe church and the Archdiocese, the Wall of Women was formed to address the covering of the sacred mural.
On Sunday, about 40 courageous women and men dressed in white, met at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (OLG) -- the women to hold hands to build a white Wall of Women, the men to make sure the women were not harassed. The Wall of Women was formed to protest the White Wall initiated by Guadalupe’s priest, Fr. Benito, to cover up the mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe painted by Denver’s famous artist, Carlota Espinoza over thirty years ago.
The mural is a symbol of peace and unity and was divinely inspired by above to act as a shield and to protect all her children from the injustices of the world.
The women were not a bunch of radical crazies with nothing more to do on a Sunday morning, than to join hands to form a white wall in front of a church. These women came from all walks of life inclusive of elected officials, educators, nuns, Latina leaders, Catholic women’s organizations, business owners and parishioners. Participants included: Polly Baca, Frances Aguirre, Juanita Herrera, Arlette Lucero, Carlota Espinoza, Celia Vigil, Josephine Zamora, Pauline Martínez McBeth, Helen Giron Mushfig, Magdalena Gallegos, Olivia Martínez, Flor Lovato, Luisa Vigil, Susanna DeLeon, Mary Motion Meadows, Virginia Salazar, Ceci Flores, Lucilla Tenorio and many more.
The men who showed up to support the Wall of Women, included: Dr. Ramón Del Castillo, Director of Chicano Studies at Metro State College; Jim García, co-founder of Clinica Tepeyac; Eloy Espinosa, parishioner and long time community activist; Jesse Aguirre, parishioner and Ricardo LaFore, former Migrant Director and Aide to Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Thank you for your courage to stand with us.
Flor Lovato, our spokesperson greeted people as they arrived for mass. One woman kept telling her that “God is most important.” Flor responded, “We agree. We believe in the Creator. Have the parishioners been told that people who are offended by the ‘Wall’ do not believe God is most important? If so, they have been told an untruth. Did Jesus not say from the cross, ‘Behold your Mother’ referring to Mary? Do women belong at the foot of Jesus – I don’t think so. The mural was painted by a woman, depicting the patron saint of the Américas. A man covered an important woman’s image. Would Jesus hide his mother? We revere the Virgen de Guadalupe and we believe in God the creator, Jesus the Savior, and the Holy Spirit.”
The women formed a row on each side of the church’s entrance so that Fr. Benito and the parishioners coming out of the 10am mass pass through the women’s formation. Fr. Benito came out smiling and blessing the women who started to pray the Hail Mary over and over as a chant. Some of the congregation, I noticed began praying with us, others refused handouts telling the story of the mural.
We ending by singing Nosotros Venceremos/We Shall Overcome and then a group of men and women dressed in blue congregated at the entrance to the church and started to say the rosary in Spanish. There was forcefulness in their voices as they said the rosary. They appeared to be angry and rude. What good is it to say the rosary in anger? What good is it to treat the Wall of Women with rudeness?
We came in peace on behalf of La Virgen de Guadalupe and her son Jesus Christ, handing out red roses which were not accepted by many. The anger concerns me.
Is Fr. Benito inciting his followers to utilize anger and rudeness towards us? Many people we talked to kept saying, Jesus should be the center of attention in the church. They feel they are right to cover the Virgen.
Would Jesus hide his mother?
I heard another comment from the men of the Parish. They said that “women belonged at the foot of the cross.” These words came from Mexican men still stuck in a time when women stayed in the background only to serve the men. We are in the 21st century now in the United States where women have fought for and have equal rights to men -- even in the church. My biggest question remains: What would Jesus do? Would Jesus Christ hide his mother?
Straight from the heart ~ Magdalena Gallegos
Magdalena Gallegos is a writer, playwright, historian, and publisher (Southwest Magazine).
© 2010 The Weekly Issue/El Semanario, Inc.
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