Mercy Me

This weekend's vigil and procession were held at La Merced. The procedure didn't change all that much - alfombras, lots of men in purple, Jesus float, Mary float, bands and lots of spectators, but I got to experience it from a couple new perspectives.

This time, I went inside the cathedral to see the procession leave. Even though the procession is already huge, being inside the confines of the church made the floats seem much bigger. Lifted up on the shoulders of men, the float is too tall to pass through the church doors. The men have to lower the float onto a track, push the float out, and then lift it back up again. When Jesus emerges from the church, the band starts playing triumphantly. However, the band is still inside the cathedral and the music echos through the tall concrete hallway. It makes the music much louder and grander. There are cymbals and a gong that crash, and although there's only three or four of each instrument, you would think there's thirty.

In the afternoon, I saw the procession turn a corner, and while this may sound simple enough, it is actually quite a feat. The maneuver requires lots of coordination, as the float barely fits through the turn. There are men carrying the float, men directing the float from the front and back, and men on the inside of the turn pushing the side of the float away from threats so it doesn't collide with lampposts and other obtrusions. More men walk along side the float with long poles that lift up low-hanging telephone or electrical wires that may catch on the float.

I've enjoyed being able to watch these processions from multiple angles. There is so much going on that its hard to put it all down in words. I'm excited for Semana Santa when there will be three or four processions per day and even more elaborate alfombras.