Santa's Little Mexican Helpers

Contrary to popular belief, Santa’s House isn’t at the North Pole. That’s just silly – it’s too cold there. Actually his house is in the small Mexican town of Tlalpujahua! Tlalpujahua is just across the Mexico State – Michoacán state border, about a half hour drive from La Jordana, the ex Marist formation house and now retreat house.

The House of Santa Claus

It is one of Mexico’s “magic towns”, preserving colonial buildings around the plaza. Tlalpujahua predates the Spanish conquest. The name in Nahuatl means “spongy earth” – a reference to the soft soil it is built on.

La Plaza

Gold and silver mines were exploited by the Spaniards from 1551. Two churches were built – one for the Spaniards and one for the Indians!

The mines failed sometime in the 18^th century and were reopened by English investors a century later. They didn’t last long.

The principal church, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mt Carmel was mostly built in the 17^th century. A Franciscan convent of the same vintage is nearby.

The Interior of Our Lady of Mt Carmel - that's her above the altar, painted on an adobe wall. 

Oddly enough, the town is now known for the various factories that make Christmas decorations. None of your plastic Chinese decorations. These are glass and hand decorated – and incredibly cheap! At one stage this small town was the worlds biggest producer of glass Christmas baubles! And Santa’s house is in the middle of town!

The church seems to have suffered somewhat from the same desire to decorate. The baroque interior can only be described as “Mexican wedding cake” style. Oddly enough it doesn’t really seem to be over the top in the context!

A close up of the Painting of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. She was removed from an older church which was destroyed in a fire.

The flower and vegetable decoration on the ceiling.

Across the valley is the smaller township of Tlalpujahuilla. It’s a pretty ordinary town except for the sanctuary of the Virgin of San Juan. It’s a huge church – about the size of Wellington’s Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for such a small town. And that’s due to the devotion to the miraculous statue of Our Lady of San Juan. The church is massive – built in stone.

The front of Our Lady of San Juan, Tlalpujahuilla

From the side. The square building at front is where devotional candles are burnt.

The parish is obviously geared to the annual pilgrimage for the feast day. The toilets are industrial size and accessed by a pay turn style. I did wonder just how much money the parish made out of the dunnies in contrast to donations from the faithful!

The miraculous statue.

Behind the main altar, where the Statue of Our Lady is there is a room – and you can climb a staircase where there’s a cloth stretched across the top. It forces you to duck under – and it was only after doing this I noticed the signs that said something like: “Be covered by Our Lady’s Mantel” with an arrow pointing up the steps. I guess not something to be sneezed at. So I went around again!

Under the protection of Our Lady's Mantle

Still, it shows the strength of Mexican’s devotion to Mary. There are several other pilgrimage sites within an hour’s drive of Tlalpujahuilla.

Here's a link to some more photos.

One way to get the turkey home!