Oklahoma City parishioners find joy in Las Posadas
ritual has parallels with immigrants’ plight
BY LILLIE-BETH BRINKMAN
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Published: December 23, 2008
Joseph and Mary, portrayed by Florencio and Lency Murillo, are welcomed into the stable during Las Posadas at Little Flower Catholic Church, 1125 S Walker. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
In the midst of so many holiday celebrations — the Feast Day and novenas of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Christmas and the Epiphany (also known as Three Kings Day) — lies another Catholic tradition that honors Mary, celebrates Jesus and brings families together.
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AT A GLANCE
How Las Posadas is celebrated
During the Posadas, Mary and Joseph go door to door — either inside the church or to homes — knocking and asking innkeepers if they have room for Mary, who is about to give birth to Jesus.
Singing takes place outside and inside, as they ask and the innkeepers refuse.
"In terms of me, it means tradition. It means unity. It means culture,” said Cyndi Jodlowski, account executive for KTUZ-TV, whose family roots are in Mexico. "It’s almost like a cultural ritual. It’s fun.”
Each day during the Posadas, parishioners will pray for the beloved Mary’s protection, said Sister Guadalupe Ortíz with Little Flower Catholic Church.
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Origin of holiday
Las Posadas dates to the 1500s, when Christian evangelists seeking to convert indigenous people of Mexico realized they could teach them their faith through the re-enactment of biblical stories.
"One of the deep meanings of the Posadas is the struggle of the immigrant,” said Timothy Matovina, a theologian and professor at the University of Notre Dame. Mexican immigrants can see their own stories reflected in the biblical pilgrims’ journey, he said.
Las Posadas is celebrated throughout the Southwest.
David Castillo of Oklahoma City remembers his mother celebrating every year in people’s homes. The group she celebrated with would take a replica of the Virgin of Guadalupe from house to house before the big feast.
"It’s beautiful,” said Castillo, who said he realized a deeper meaning of the Posadas and generations of tradition on a trip to Mexico last year. "It was such a cultural experience, not only a religious experience, but also cultural.”
At St. Eugene’s Catholic Church, 2400 W Hefner Road, parishioners have a procession with candles as they stop at three doors in the church. Each night, a different ministry is in charge of providing the meal for the evening.
The custom isn’t as widespread in the United States as it is in Mexico, said Gloria Pantazis, St. Eugene’s coordinator of Hispanic ministry. In Mexican villages, the homes are close together and large groups participating in the Posadas can travel from house to house easily.
At the end of the Posadas, after knocking on several doors, Mary and Joseph are welcomed inside to more prayers and a meal.
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