By Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Data provided by: José Buenrostro, Chronicler of Apaseo el Grande
Photo: Enrique Buenrostro
-Devotion has endured for over three hundred years, captivating the people of Apaseo through an image that evokes pathos and a profound spiritual connection.
-During the Religious Persecution, the image was saved from the anti-clerical phobia of the *Callistas* thanks to faithful followers who hid it in private homes.
-It is credited with saving the population from plagues such as the Spanish Flu and smallpox, as well as providing protection against floods and fires.
-Popular legend tells that the image arrived in a crate forgotten by muleteers at an inn; it was handed over to the priest after remaining unclaimed.
-There is a story of a mysterious sculptor who, without charging a wage, performed a masterful restoration while locked in a cell, suggesting an almost miraculous origin.
-Standing at an exact height of 1.675 meters, the image symbolically watches over the streets of Apaseo at night to rid them of evil threats.
-The image is present during the Paschal Triduum in Holy Week for the veneration of the faithful, who show respect for what it represents: the suffering Christ the Nazarene and the Divine Prisoner.
The image of The Lord of the Three Falls (El Señor de las Tres Caídas) is not merely a piece of religious imagery, but a pillar of identity and a living testament to the history of Apaseo el Grande. Its origin is intertwined with 18th-century ecclesiastical administration, appearing in 1767 inventories as a sculpture of Jesus Nazareno belonging to the brotherhood of the Mestizos. This document details a piece two varas high, with a purple tunic and silver "potencias" (rays of light), a description that fully matches the image venerated today.
Although historian Benito Mendoza suggests it was commissioned between 1825 and 1834 by Father Juan Evangelista León, evidence from the archives of Michoacán and the Franciscan handover records place its roots much further back, possibly in the 17th century. This chronological discrepancy only adds mysticism to a figure whose exact provenance is debated between the workshops of Spain or the great Mexican imagery centers like Pátzcuaro or Querétaro.
Deep analysis of the texts by chronicler José G. Buenrostro López reveals that the Lord of the Three Falls is a symbol of civil resistance. Its return to the streets in 1950, following the cessation of bitter relations between Church and State, marked a milestone in the recovery of public space for communal faith. Today, the image transcends the religious to become a guardian of public health and social well-being, serving as a refuge for those seeking lost persons or recovering health after dangers faced abroad.
History of the image in Apaseo el Grande
The historian Don Benito Mendoza, in his "History of Apaseo" written at the end of the 19th century, records that "it was ordered to be made by Fr. Juan Evangelista León between the years 1825 to 1834."
However, when the Franciscan friars handed over the Parish of San Juan Bautista in Apaseo to the secular priests on February 25, 1767, the inventory of sacred images mentioned:
"Item: Another aforementioned ancient form of Jesus of Nazareth, a brotherhood served by the Mestizos, whose sculpted image shall be two 'varas' high, with its inner white tunic and purple outer one, with a crown and silver 'potencias'..."
"I believe it goes without saying that this 1767 description of Jesus the Nazarene fits the description of the Lord of the Three Falls," states chronicler Buenrostro López.
Legends Surrounding the Wonder-Working Image
When did this image arrive in our town? This is where oral traditions begin. It is said that a group of muleteers left a crate forgotten in one of the many inns in Apaseo. After a reasonable time, the innkeeper opened it and found the image, which he delivered to the Parish Priest.
Another account tells of a priest who, seeing the image deteriorated, entrusted it to a sculptor. The artist locked himself in a cell to perform an admirable restoration without claiming any payment, leading to the belief that the image "restored itself."
Resilience and Miracles
In the years of the Mexican Revolution and the Religious Persecution, the image was hidden in private homes to save it from the anti-clerical phobia of the federals under Plutarco Elías Calles. The people of Apaseo saw it as a miracle that the image did not fall into the hands of those who intended to burn it in a public bonfire.
Many times, at the plea of the citizens, the Lord of the Three Falls has saved the population from plagues, Spanish Flu, floods, fires, and rebel raids. There is even a story that the Lord of the Three Falls leaves his niche at night to walk the streets of Apaseo, guarding the town from physical and moral evils.
The document containing this information, authored by Don José G. Buenrostro López, notes that "the height of the Lord of the Three Falls is one meter, sixty-seven and a half centimeters." #MetroNewsMx #GuanajuatoDesconocido
