Rain, thunder and plenty of man-made commotion are hallmarks of the traditional festivities held from June 5 through 13 in San Antonio Tlayacapan in tribute to the town’s religious patron, Saint Anthony of Padua.

Some staff at the Centro de Estudios Teológicos de San Andrés (St. Andrew’s Center for Theological Studies) in the Guadalajara area say that mainline Protestant denominations could be poised on the brink of an increase of interest among Mexicans as alternatives to Roman Catholicism and a concomitant increase in the means to educate new clergy.

A stone’s throw from the Tapatío landmarks Teatro Degollado and Hotel Frances, a unique retail store with a long and interesting history peeks out beneath graceful, yellow and white arches. 

The suffocating heat of late May tends to curb both my appetite and any inclination to slave at the stove. This week’s keep-cool approach to menu planning?  Gazpacho!

Tuesday morning I headed over to Lakeside’s best source for fresh and healthy produce, the weekly farmers market at the La Huerta de Serna events salon, making a beeline for the Gomis Gardens veggie stand to stock up on my main ingredient – luscious tomatoes just off the vine.

English-speaking, pet-loving residents of the Guadalajara and Lake Chapala areas are frequently more than familiar with the veterinarian brothers Antonio and Arturo Ladron de Guevara, who, along with their father, a sister and the younger Hector, have for decades operated large, well-equipped clinics in both locales and speak excellent English to boot.

A Guadalajara-born nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor was among 802 new saints named by Pope Francis in the Vatican on Sunday.