Week 5- The Virgin Mary

I grew up Catholic; we practiced it, went to church and I went to Catholic school for two years for my first communion. The image of the Virgin Mary was everywhere in my house. I was raised by my grandparents and they always talked about respecting her and praying to her because she was the mother of Christ. They always said have a lot of faith in her, to believe in her and she would guide us like a mother would. My grandparents respected her like many Mexicans part of the catholic church do. So much so, they made sure to take us to the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City so we can all pay our respects to her and the church that was dedicated to her. As a child I was very moved by her story, I related her to the matriarchs in my family that I loved and appreciated. 

As I got older and began to understand things a lot more and question things, I began to see the contradictions in my family.  This woman was held to the highest regard, but all the other women, for the most part had these secondary places. The role of women on my maternal side was very traditional in terms of how the church mandates. The man was the head of the household, he was to be respected and the woman’s role was to do as he said and raise children or be the supportive wife. Although I saw the women in my family as strong, there was a lot of things they put up with because that was their ‘role’ as women and wives. 

As I began to educate myself, while figuring out my identity and my feminism, I rejected the church completely. I had to unlearn a lot of unhealthy and unrealistic things that were taught to me, in terms of what it meant to be a ‘woman’. Things that put me in vulnerable positions and many other women for that matter. I learned about our indigenous ancestors and the goddesses and deities. I was able to find strength through their stories.  Although I rejected the church, I never rejected the Virgin Mary completely, but I did redefine her. Maybe it was because of my conditioning, that I can’t seem to completely reject her and her image. But I see my grandmother and mother through her, but if I could recreate her (be more artistic) I would draw my mom’s old housekeeping uniform on her, because my mom’s strength and history is something that is also praised by me.