Basilica of the Holy Spirit

(Chronicle of a day in May 2007). Last Sunday, I was walking back, and I felt like entering a church—I don't know why—to pass some time, and incidentally check it out inside: its architecture, its images, how well or poorly maintained it is, and all those things one notices in a church, aside from the fact that a church is a place for prayer.

And in my path was the Basilica of the Holy Spirit, the temple of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, at the intersection of Medrano, Mansilla, and Paraguay streets. Inaugurated in 1907. This church has two front towers 54 meters tall. The architecture is Romanesque in style. I don't know more specific details, only what I can read on the internet. The basilica's website is http://www.parroquiaguadalupe.com/ where it states that it is the first Basilica dedicated to the Holy Spirit in Latin America.

As I was saying, I was walking back, saw people at the church door, assumed it was open, and went inside. Once inside, there were already a few people seated and a few standing, and as I correctly assumed, a Mass was about to begin. So I didn't walk around looking at the images as I had planned, but instead moved toward the middle and sat in an empty pew to wait and see whether a Mass would start or not. And so it did: at 8:00 PM the Mass began. There were a few priests hearing confessions, but when I walked past, no one was confessing. The exact pew where I sat blocked my view of the altar because it was behind a pillar, but even so, the place was nice and comfortable. Given that it was somewhat warm, I was wearing a sweater, and since the side door was open, a breeze was blowing, so I didn't move from my spot. The Mass started, celebrated by a young priest with an accent from somewhere else, possibly a foreigner. It had been many years since I attended Mass; in this case, I stayed for half of it, as I left before it ended. The priest began with a "good evening" greeting, followed by the usual Catholic Mass ritual as always. In the church, there were many elderly people and a significant number of young adults. People were standing, and almost all the pews were full, but I got the feeling that it was missing people—or rather, that the people standing could have easily squeezed into the "full" pews that still had room for more. In the priest's interpretation of the Gospels and in several other parts of the Mass (petitions to the Lord, offering of the Mass, etc.), the same old story is brought up to date. In one instance, he emphasized those young people who decide on a priestly life—a point that caught my attention, since you didn't hear that before, but now there is a shortage of clergy and it's natural for them to ask for that, as it's news you read in the newspapers. Then, a word repeated many times was "corrupt politicians"—something true, but the bad part is the generalization, without even acknowledging those who aren't. Of course, at no point were "corrupt priests" or "criminal priests," etc., mentioned... followed by many broad, accusatory phrases that ultimately say nothing, like "may the lies end"—expressions of wishful thinking that guide the path forward, but say nothing and do not help overcome obstacles.

The hymnal included practically all the same songs I already knew, but with a different intonation. A choir gathered around a girl with a guitar who sang, who put effort into it, and I imagine she did it with enthusiasm.

Anyway, halfway through the Mass, I left through the side door and went on my way. It’s not bad—the church as a place of prayer, to go and reflect for a while, preferably in silence, quiet, somewhat isolated from the outside world in the middle of the city, and then step out and continue with the usual day-to-day.

Originally published on 05-02-2007