Metro News Newsroom
Translation: Metro News Mx
-The Third Order Temple in Dolores Hidalgo, the second oldest in the municipality, premieres a deep interior and exterior restoration ahead of its festivities.
-This is part of the actions for better service to worship and ahead of the patron saint festivities of this temple, which venerates the Immaculate Conception: Father Juan Galván
-The Immaculate Conception will be venerated in a "luxury house," with restoration that included replastering and new decoration, not just painting.
-Father Juan Galván confirms that the restoration of the severely deteriorated temple was possible thanks to the support of the community and governments.
-The restoration work was carried out with permits and under the supervision of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) due to its historical value.
-Architect Indalecio, a restoration specialist from the Dolores College of Architects, donated part of his work as an offering to God and the Virgin Mary.
-The Immaculate Conception festivities begin with 11 days of nightly processions and the participation of the guilds through the center of Dolores.
-As a novelty, the guild of soccer referees joins the festivities this year, keeping alive the tradition of guild pilgrimages since 1906.
-The rector emphasizes that the priority of the celebration is the liturgical part, with daily masses and confessions, above the activities in the street.
-The attendance of the Bishop of the Diocese of Celaya is confirmed; he will preside over the Eucharistic celebration on December 3.
-The pilgrimage of the guilds is seen as a representation of the Christian journey of the faithful, who are pilgrims in this life.
-There will be a concert of songs inspired by the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, December 6, elevating the spirit to devotion.
-On December 8, the main day, 2 Masses will be celebrated, "Mañanitas" with mariachi, and there will be musical groups to create a family and festive atmosphere.
-The temple will be a meeting place for families from Dolores, guaranteeing peace and tranquility for the people who attend the patron saint festival events.
-An invitation is extended to an athletic race on Sunday, November 30, with competitive and recreational modalities; all registered participants will receive a gift.
-The feast celebrates the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the truth of faith that Mary was preserved from original sin by the grace of God.
The Temple of the Immaculate Conception, or Third Order Temple, in Dolores Hidalgo—the second oldest in the city, dating back to the mid-18th century—has been the subject of a deep and recent restoration, both inside and out, just in time for its patron saint festivities. Father Juan Galván Sánchez, the temple's rector, confirmed that the work was not a simple coat of paint but a "huge effort" that included the renewal of plastering and completely new interior decoration, thanks to the support of the community, as well as the municipal and state governments.
The restoration was executed respecting protocols and with permits obtained from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and Municipal Public Works, ensuring that the house of the Immaculate Conception is worthy of its antiquity and devotion. Architect Indalecio, a member of the Dolores College of Architects and a restoration specialist, donated a good part of his work.
The festivities in honor of the Immaculate Conception will be experienced in a very unique way with 11 days of nightly processions by guilds, a tradition dating back to 1906, which this year joyfully incorporates the new guild of referees. The novena and celebrations will focus on the liturgical aspect, with daily masses and confessions, prioritizing faith inside the temple and in the hearts of the faithful over external events. The Bishop will be present on December 3. The main day, December 8, will feature Eucharists, *Mañanitas* with mariachi, musical groups, and a recreational sports competition on November 30. The feast is an occasion to celebrate the Marian dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the truth of faith that the Virgin Mary was born without the stain of original sin.
The complete interview transcript of Father Juan Galván Sánchez, by journalist Eugenio Amézquita
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Well, I'm here with none other than a great friend, a priest, Father Juan Galván Sánchez, rector of the Temple of the Immaculate Conception or the Third Order, sorry, of the Third Order, there in Dolores Hidalgo, Venerable Third Order, now the Third of Our Seraphic Father Saint Francis of Assisi, but which holds a great treasure there, a beautiful, ancient image of the Immaculate Conception, which has a lot of history, but the thing is that they are celebrating a feast and the temple has been recently restored, inside and out.
Thank you for taking my call, Father, and I would like you to tell me a little about this upcoming feast, the main dates, the presence of the Bishop, but also this detail with which the people will be welcomed, the house of the Immaculate Conception, dressed up, arranged, in luxury. Thank you, Father.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
With great pleasure, well, greetings and also many thanks for the interest in making known the faith of the people of Dolores. The temple you refer to is indeed called the Third Order, very well known here in Dolores, in the region. It is an ancient temple, the second oldest here in Dolores, from the mid-18th century.
And well, over time everything deteriorates, so this temple needed an external restoration, and with the support of the community, and I must also say, with some support from the municipal and state government, it was possible for us to conclude the work. It was a big job, a huge effort, the temple is beautiful, it is renovated, it is painted. No, it is not an external painting, it is what we would call a deep restoration, because the plastering was very, very deteriorated, and so it was, let's say, serious work, all thanks to the generosity of the Catholic people of Dolores.
The interior was also decorated. I understand that it had not been decorated before, it had only been painted, but it did not have, let's say, figures, and some months ago the work was also concluded, so that those who come to it will be able to appreciate the renovation, it looks clean, it looks renovated, as is proper for a temple.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
A worthy house of God, which would be a place for the worship of God. Father, I believe that when one invites people to one's house, a new house or a house that has been arranged and restored, it is always a surprise for friends, for strangers, and even more so when it is done with good taste. In this case, I understand, precisely because of the age, because of the era to which this temple belongs, certain protocols must be followed with the National Institute of Anthropology and History. I want to think that all this was followed.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
The first thing is to obtain permits from the corresponding institutions, in this case indeed from INAH, they kindly granted us both the restoration permit and the decoration permit, because they are different, so we obtained both. Permission was also obtained from Public Works here in the municipality, and once we had them, we went to work. The restoration is always supervised by them, one must not deviate from the guidelines set by the regulations.
The architect in charge must also have a specialization in restoration. Of course, I appreciate all architects, but for a restoration, not everyone would have the knowledge, and that is no offense, because after all, there are specialists for everything.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
That's right. Can we know the architect's name, Father?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Yes, of course, Architect Indalecio. He belongs to the College of Architects here in Dolores, and he kindly, in addition, gave away a good part of his work. I also want to point that out, a man of faith.
And well, there he is for the restoration. It was different there; there are people who already have experience in that and have restored, have decorated many other temples, and they are the ones who favored us by decorating the interior of the temple.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Look at that detail, I mean, we are saying it, the architect is not saying it, we are saying it is an offering to God and the Immaculate Conception from him, something that remains, that is recorded for history in this 71st anniversary of the coronation of the Immaculate Conception of Dolores Hidalgo. Father, and moving forward a little, I think the date is approaching, the beginning of the novena, what are the Catholics of Dolores Hidalgo and the region, and we who are also Catholics, going to find in these festivities, Father?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Well, here in Dolores the feast is celebrated in a very singular way, because for 11 days, processions are held through the streets of Dolores, especially through the center, with a replica of the Blessed Virgin. In all cases, the procession starts at eight at night from different places, with the drum and bugle corps, with dances, and of course with the Blessed Virgin. Here it is by guilds. In 1906, they were organized by guilds, and it continues to be done that way from then until today. Surely the trades, the professions have varied, some guilds are still active, others are no longer, some others have been integrated. A curious fact, no, not curious but joyful, is that this year we integrated the referees, we have a guild of referees who will now also participate in the festivities.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
We wouldn't be surprised if the guild of soccer players also joined the referees.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Well, yes, (smiles) although many soccer players are members of other guilds, because the guilds are mostly made up of trades, like jobs, professions, and since referees are also in a certain way a profession, a trade, well then they also don't want to feel excluded from the joy of participating in the feast.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Of course, Father, and well, December 8 is a date, what can I say, the Diocese of Celaya, well, the patron saint of the city of Celaya is the Immaculate Conception, and she is also the patron saint of Villagrán, Guanajuato, and she is almost the patron saint of Dolores Hidalgo, after the Patroness of Dolores, who is finally the Virgin, she is finally the Virgin Mary.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
She is the same Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Our Mother, but under a different title, a different aspect of her life.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
And well, obviously sometimes schedules overlap, but the Bishop will obviously be present, won't he? And on what date, Father?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Yes, since there are many celebrations on the 8th, as you just mentioned, he chooses one of the days, not a day of the novena, because it's more than nine days, one of the preparation days, he chooses the date he can come, and this time it will be December 3, he will be with us, we are waiting for him with great pleasure.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
We are also looking at the program, the draft, well, not the draft, well, it is for me, because I was extracting the data, and well, it is clear to me that it is the entire program of religious activity, and I think you have been very concerned in making people see that the true feast is inside the temple, not outside, and it is inside the heart, and especially because I am seeing that you have the Holy Mass and confessions scheduled daily.
That's right, every day. Here it means that the priority of the feast is not what is in the street, it is what is inside the temple and in every heart, I think that is how it is, Father.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
That's right, yes, although the devotional part is also valuable. A feast has about three dimensions, three aspects: the folkloric part, for example, what is accompanied by artistic expressions, well, some cultural things that also give it a festive atmosphere, but for a religious feast it is not the most relevant. Then there is the devotional part, such as processions, novenas, the Holy Rosary, and then there is the liturgical part, and the most important thing for a religious feast is always the liturgical part, that is why we give it that relevance, we always give the first place to the celebratory part from the liturgical point of view, which is the Holy Mass, confessions are also liturgical because it is a sacrament, it is the sacrament of reconciliation, and taking advantage of the occasion, I invite people so that the feast is also a timely occasion to grow and learn more about our faith and increase our love for God and the Blessed Virgin.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
The entrance of the guilds, these processions, and I say processions because sometimes we confuse them with the word parade and they are not parades, they are processions, they sometimes also involve a little bit of a penitential act, that is, walking and arriving at the Father's house, at God's house, is there something in this sense, Father?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Of course, Christians, from a religious point of view, are pilgrims, we are advancing towards our definitive homeland which is the kingdom of heaven, and so walking, moving along after an image, is in a way like a figure of the Christian walk through this life, certainly, yes.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
And I also see that on Saturday, December 6, at 6 in the afternoon, there will be a concert of songs inspired by the Immaculate Conception. Although this could be taken as part of the cultural aspect, I want to think that this will be inside the temple, but it also has its touch of sacred art.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Yes, that's right, we would say it is an act of devotion because it is not only like a show but it is also raising the spirit to devotion towards our Blessed Virgin Mary.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
You have a good brother who, until recently, was the parish priest of the Jesús Nazareno parish in Atotonilco. I think he is still, I don't know if he is still in charge of sacred art in the Diocese of Celaya.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Yes, Father Fernando Manríquez still is.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
That's right, and I remember having read from his pen that sacred art is the way in which the worship and adoration due to God is manifested through beauty. Words to that effect. I think the homage, the due worship to the Immaculate Conception, goes with this concert.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Yes, beauty is, we could say, one of the attributes of God, beauty, so the beautiful is approaching the divine, that's right, exactly as you put it, that's exactly right.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Well, I don't know if anything is missing, I think that on the 8th, which is the main day, as we say, the very main day, there is a series of activities, could you share them with us, Father, trying to remember a little about what will happen that day?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Yes, with pleasure, as I said, we have 12 Eucharists, well, I didn't say we had them, but that the liturgy is the most relevant, that is why we have two masses at 8 and 12 in the morning, and we are also going to have the *Mañanitas* with mariachi at 9 in the morning, then at 3 in the afternoon we will have a musical group and a *Norteño* group in the evening as well, all of that is part of the feast, it is the atmosphere that we intend to create so that people can also have fun healthily. What is characteristic of us Christians is joy, enthusiasm, jubilee, and external elements also cause us joy, without a doubt.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Father, obviously everything is aimed at having a family atmosphere.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Of course, yes, I hope there will be harmony, a conducive atmosphere, for coexistence, for encounter, that is what we intend. In that sense, the municipality assigns a good number of security elements every afternoon to guarantee the peace and tranquility of the people who come to enjoy these events.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Any, I don't know, any other message, anything else you want to share with us, Father?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Well, another event we are going to have is a sports competition, an athletic race on the 30th, next Sunday, and there are two modalities, there is a competition for those who want to win the prizes, but there is also a recreational event, everyone who wishes can participate there, they can walk, jog, and also all those who participate in this event, who register, will receive a gift.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
So they are winning from the start.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
From the moment they get their number, they know they will receive a gift.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
And well, obviously not forgetting, I would like you to remind us, Father, so that we do not forget, this meaning of December 8. I think last year marked 150 years of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which is precisely the feast. What is this Immaculate Conception, Father, for those of us who are a little unfamiliar with these kinds of details?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
Well, for centuries the church has considered that the Blessed Virgin Mary is pure from the first moment of her conception, in attention to the merits of her Son Jesus Christ, it is by a special grace and it is one of the Marian dogmas, the Immaculate Conception. A dogma is a truth of faith, which is based on Sacred Scripture, on the tradition of the church as well, and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception is one of those dogmas, that is, we believe that the Blessed Virgin, I repeat, in attention to the merits of her Son Jesus Christ, God wanted her to be pure, to be clean, to be like a tabernacle, where the Incarnate Word, her Son Jesus Christ, would be for nine months.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
And above all, something that I find interesting, that just as the Virgin Mary, exactly by the grace of God, of the Holy Spirit, is born without the stain of original sin, it is Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, who gives birth to her without stain.
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
That's right, that's right, that's what we believe in the light of faith, and in that sense the Blessed Virgin, as the Gospel of Saint Luke says, is the one full of grace, it explicitly says so, the blessed among women, the mother of the Lord, so that dogma naturally has a biblical foundation, because it is not said of anyone else that they are full of grace, only the Blessed Virgin, the Blessed Virgin is the one full of grace.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Well, what can we say about our Mother of Heaven, many things, I think words would not be enough, and I want to thank Father Juan Galván, the Father knows the great esteem we have for him, and the truth is that I am always very aware of the liturgical celebrations he has, in fact we have an alliance with the temple, with the community for the broadcasts there, every now and then I see the broadcasts from Dolores Hidalgo, and on this occasion for our audience that will read us and listen to us, we are making an alliance to reach a large number of people through social networks, which, by the way, on the first page of the program that you should connect to is precisely that of the Third Order temple, you will find it like this [https://www.facebook.com/templodeterceraorden](https://www.facebook.com/templodeterceraorden).
There you will be able to connect to listen, if you are sick and cannot leave, there, look, you connect, it is not a holy day of obligation, but many people will want to be there, not only watching precisely the liturgy part that the Father very accurately spoke to us about, but also this festive part of joy, of delight, of seeing the image of the Immaculate Conception, a very ancient image, which has a lot of history that we will share with you through our content, so that you can closely follow the steps of the Immaculate Conception from Dolores Hidalgo Guanajuato. Anything else, Father?
Father Juan Galván Sánchez
No, well, a very sincere thank you to you for this interest and at the same time an invitation to all the faithful who love the Blessed Virgin, her feast will be a timely occasion to increase our affection, our trust, our devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Thank you very much for the interview.
Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
To you, Father. I am Eugenio Amézquita and this is Guanajuato Desconocido and Metro News. #GuanajuatoDesconocido #MetroNewsMx
