Being that I was raised in a Catholic family, my earliest memories of la Virgen consist of the images I saw depicting her in church. Being that my abuela’s name is Guadalupe, my mom has always made an effort to celebrate the day of la Virgen with her and recognize their common faith. I went to church often as a kid, but never really understood much of what went on and why any of what was happening was significant. As I grew older, I started to recognize the relationship I had with the church, and became more aware of the power images of individuals like la Virgen have on those who have faith in them.
When I was of age, my mom suggested I take classes to be able to reach my First Communion. Although this was not something I was particularly interested in, I figured it was the right thing to do for my family. After discovering myself and learning more about the church, I realized that I did not align with many of the views and beliefs other Catholics had and followed. Nonetheless, I made sure to set my assumptions aside and have an open mind when learning about God. I did end up completing my First Communion, but eventually formed my own faith and went about my life in that way.
Instances such as these remind me that, although the image of la Virgen is similar amongst images depicting her, people can apply those images differently to their own faith. To this day, my mom prays with a rosary on a regular basis and continues to use images of la Virgen when practicing her faith. I know what it means for her, but I also know what it means for me; that’s the beauty of it all.
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