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Calvario del Sr. Sepultado

we went to the two churches in the center of town. They stand opposite one another, one to the east and the other to the west. This is a common motif with Guatemalan churches. The smaller of the two churches always goes by the nickname of Calvary chapel, and is dedicated to the Mayan underworld. The larger of the churches is dedicated to the God of Catholicism.

We visited the Calvary chapel (Calvario del Sr. Sepultado) first. Churches here are always a syncretism of traditional Mayan and Catholic beliefs. The underworld that Calvary represents does not have he stigma of Christian hell, but is rather simply where all souls go when they die. Mayans believe that man was created from corn, and that he returns to corn after death.

It was decorated similarly to many churches in the area, with a carved wooden altar. It had a wide center aisle which was punctuated with slate slabs on which offering candles were placed. Narrow rows of pews flanked the aisle. Colorful vases holding flowers decorated the altar. Old wooden crosses of various sizes were propped against the walls.

Ajq'ijab' (indigenous healers sometimes called shamans, though the latter is a bit of a misnomer) practice in this church, and people ask for protection ceremonies and are also able to communicate with their deceased loved ones. Humberto took us to a small, dark anteroom where many of these ceremonies take place.

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Craig and Steph
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