If you’re withering under the prolonged spate of scorching temperatures, take heart. We’re finally on the threshold of the summer rains, which, according to conventional wisdom, kick in like clockwork on June 13, the feast day of Saint Anthony of Padua, patron saint of San Antonio Tlayacapan.
Often as not, prior to that date we’ll see fat clouds gathering in the heavens, ready to unleash one of the sudden storms they call a chubasco that bring brief respite from the sweltering heat.
Religious observances tied in to novenario honoring San Antonio begin on June 5. Each day the townspeople pay tribute to the santo patrón with traditional street processions. Toddlers and children dressed up as Toñitos and Toñitas in brown robes belted with knotted white cords emulating the customary attire of the Franciscan brotherhood gather to parade along with a life-size image of the saint. They are accompanied by ritual dancers wearing splendid indigenous costumes and handsomely adorned floats depicting biblical stories or religious virtues. Most days the recorrido begins around 6:30 p.m., setting off from different points to wind through the village and end at the gates of the parish church in time for to evening mass.
After the service worshippers head to the central square to join the less devout for secular diversions associated with the fiestas. The throng enjoys performances by folk dance troupes and musical entertainers each night at 8:15 p.m. Banda groups crank up afterwards for the ever-popular bailes del pueblo that keep the town jumping until the wee hours.
Additional attractions include bumper cars, a Ferris wheel and other mechanical rides, games of chance to win cheap prizes, tents serving typical foods and liquid refreshments, and vendor stalls stocked with diverse merchandise. Weather permitting, a sizzling castillo fireworks display sputters into fiery action between 10 and 11 p.m. Arm yourself with an umbrella and join the fun.
San Antonio stands out as the place where Franciscan friars built the first north shore Christian church around 1531. All that remains of that ancient edifice is the bell tower located in the patio of the town’s elementary school.
The real life Saint Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195, to wealthy parents. He died June 13, 1231 near Padua, Italy at the age of 36. He began his spiritual journey in an Augustine monastery, later assuming the ascetic lifestyle of the Franciscan order. He gained distinction as an accomplished gospel preacher. It said that the infant Jesus once appeared to him while he was immersed in fervent prayer. Thus he is usually portrayed embracing the Christ Child, grasping a white lily as a symbol of purity and a book representing the messages of the gospel.
Recognized locally as harbinger of the rainy season, Saint Anthony is revered worldwide as the patron saint of sailors, fishermen and the poor. He is often invoked to aid in the recovery of lost items and missing persons. A plea recited by English-speaking followers is “Tony, Tony, turn around. Something’s lost and must be found.”
In Mexico, San Antonio is a figure of special devotion among women with troubled love lives, especially aging spinsters. Peculiar rituals practiced by desperate gals are prayers to propitiate romantic match-ups or prop up faltering relationships.