Holy Week begins today. It is a very significant part of the year for most Guatemalan people, and its observance involves many processions and religious services. It is so significant, in fact, that I started seeing ceremonies on Friday. This is a picture of a procession that took place in the Parque Central on Friday afternoon. It was very festive, seeming a bit out of place during the mournful season of Lent, but Holy Week itself begins with a joyful procession, after all.
Last night (Saturday night), I saw two religious services in the Parque El Calvario, an appropriately named park for Lent and Holy Week. The first was held in the Iglesia Del Calvario, the Catholic church in the park. The sanctuary was filled, and congregants spilled out onto the porch.
The second service took place on the basketball court in the park. The preacher spoke very fast, and he was so heavily amplified that I could hear him in my room a couple of blocks away. As far as I could tell, this was an evangelical service. The evangelical Protestant movement is rapidly growing in popularity in Guatemala, and it was interesting to see the juxtaposition of traditional and emerging religious movements in the same park last night.
Last night (Saturday night), I saw two religious services in the Parque El Calvario, an appropriately named park for Lent and Holy Week. The first was held in the Iglesia Del Calvario, the Catholic church in the park. The sanctuary was filled, and congregants spilled out onto the porch.
The second service took place on the basketball court in the park. The preacher spoke very fast, and he was so heavily amplified that I could hear him in my room a couple of blocks away. As far as I could tell, this was an evangelical service. The evangelical Protestant movement is rapidly growing in popularity in Guatemala, and it was interesting to see the juxtaposition of traditional and emerging religious movements in the same park last night.
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