MISIÓN DE BUCARELI, AN ABANDONED JEWEL IN THE SIERRA GORDA (QUERETARO)

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In the middle part of the Republic, the Sierra Madre Oriental branches off through part of the state of Querétaro, and forms what is known as the Sierra Gorda. Submerged in this abrupt and exuberant nature, the Bucareli Mission hides, a vestige of our history about to disappear.

In the middle part of the Republic, the Sierra Madre Oriental branches off through part of the state of Querétaro, and forms what is known as the Sierra Gorda. Submerged in this abrupt and exuberant nature, the Bucareli Mission hides, a vestige of our history about to disappear.

Encouraged with the idea of knowing her, we began the arduous and long journey. Before us there was a majestic and contrasting vegetation that ranges from semi-tropical wooded areas to almost desert ones. The towns of Ezequiel Montes, Cadereyta and Vizarrón were marking the beginning of the mountains.

The first town we touched was Vizarrón. Something that is striking about it is that the facades of the houses are made of quarry and marble, which gives them a unique appearance of "small castles". Also in the streets there are quarry and marble, since this type of material, which in other towns or cities may seem like a luxury, is very common because in much of the area there are granite, marble, marble and quarry mines.

The road to Jalpan, difficult due to the many curves between cliffs and mountains, gradually brought us closer to the point that captivated our interest.

In Jalpan it was necessary to purchase reserve fuel, since in such a remote place it is almost impossible to stock up. We were enjoying the cool sunset and the rays of the sun, when suddenly a beautiful spectacle was presented before our eyes: the mist began to cover the mountains little by little, giving them the appearance of islands that "sailed" among various shades of blue; even the wind seemed to sway the mist over the top, as if it were the sea whipping the shores of an island.

We would have been able to spend hours contemplating that unique spectacle, but we had to take precautions and continue the journey with the sunlight, since it is very dangerous to walk through these places in total darkness.

THE GATE OF HEAVEN, FRONTIER TO THE UNKNOWN

After a while on the road we crossed "the gate of heaven", an access between the mountains to go down to Bucareli, so called because it is a part where only the blue of the sky is seen, marking the border of the road with the unknown. During the descent, Rubén and Pedro, two of our companions, decided to travel the rest by bicycle, since the place is suitable for those who like mountain biking.

Three hours of walking and we reach a point where the landscape is impressive: upwards, the mountains, approximately 300 m high, and downwards, in the depth of an abyss of almost 200 m, the river with its imperturbable whisper runs gently.

With the sunset light, the vegetation takes on reddish tones, a magical panorama that seemed drawn by the Creator's hands: mountains covered with bushes and leafy trees below. In such sublime beauty, you cannot stop thinking about the smallness of the human being and how great nature is, which, unfortunately, we are destroying. In those moments I remembered part of a poem by Rubén C. Navarro that says:

... the afternoon is dying for us, its bloody agony of twilight wounds us more than it hurts.

ARRIVAL IN BUCARELI. REMEMBRANCE OF THE PAST

After seven hours of travel, or perhaps more, almost exhausted but with very high spirits, we reached Bucareli; In the twilight we crossed what could be a square and a small church, and not at the top of the town, we made out the Franciscan mission of Bucareli.

With the light of the moon we traveled part of the mission that even in the semi-darkness was excellent; A native of the surroundings suddenly surprised us with his presence (we thought that he was not in the care of the mission, asking us to record our arrival in a notebook for that purpose.

We told him that we would take a tour of the place the next day and asked him to help us. What remained to be done that night was to find a place to camp, rest from the long journey and wait impatiently for the arrival of the sun.

Once the tents were set up, we enjoyed a transparent sky covered with stars and a fresh and pure air that led to reflection, as perhaps the Franciscans did.

AMAZING AWAKENING

When we woke up we could not believe the magnificent picture that was presented before us. There, framed by the sky and the mountains, was the mission of Bucareli, great, full of history: our challenge.

Wrapped in a mystical atmosphere, we began our tour of the surroundings, waiting only a few minutes for Don Francisco García Aguilar to arrive, whom we thank for his valuable help.

Mr. García led us through what were the bedrooms, the patios, the dining room and the kitchen, we spoke in the past tense because little by little it remains of them. In front, on the left side, there is a church without roofs, doors or floors, due to the ravages of the Revolution; At the entrance we see some victims of inclement weather: several copper bells about to crumble.

The construction of the mission dates from approximately the year 1797; It was abandoned for the first time in 1914, at the time of Carranza, leaving the huge church unfinished. In 1917 its construction was continued, but it was permanently suspended in 1926, when the Calles persecution. The same happened with what was the abode of the Franciscans

REASON FOR THE MISSION

The reason for building a mission in the middle of this remote sierra was the evangelization of some indigenous groups, among others, the Chichimecas. On the right side of the building are, around a garden, what were the bedrooms of the Franciscan fathers, without ceilings and with walls about 5 m high, each designated with a letter 8 from A to R ). On that same side the dining room is located, which, due to the passage of time, consists only of a few tables around it, like a bench. In the kitchen, the smoke and soot on the walls bear witness to the mission's activity almost two centuries ago. Something peculiar about it is a small window that at that time had a revolving cabinet to transfer food to the dining room, avoiding any contact between the students and the cooks.

The seminarians' dormitories, now practically destroyed, are at the back of the building surrounding a garden that has a fountain in the center and some flowers and plants; It is presumed that the mission hosted 150 seminarians and 40 Franciscan priests.

Some say that sensations are perceived by the soul of things; Before our passage through the mission, we thought that this experience was the product of our imagination; However, today we can say that in that atmosphere of peace and haven of the spirit, perhaps there is some legend encrypted on its walls, also impregnated with the experiences of those mystical beings.

Inside the mission there is a small chapel where sometimes mass is celebrated, thanks to the fact that the natives of neighboring towns bring a priest, mainly on October 4, which is when Saint Francis of Assisi is commemorated. The chapel has only a few rustic wooden benches, small tables, images, and various figures: Saint Francis, Saint Joseph, a virgin, and a Black Christ, the latter something rare at that time; on the ceiling you can see, blurred by the passing of the years, paintings of angels.

The stillness and peace of that place was such that we could hear the breathing of our companions, as well as their footsteps on the brick floor. Inside lie the remains of some of the people who followed up on the building of the church that was never completed, such as those of Mr. Emeterio Ávila, who died building the mission, and those of Mariano Aguilera, who died on July 31, 1877.

We would have liked the walls to tell us the story of the mission and see it as in one of those old movies that we sometimes enjoy; but since it is impossible, we try to investigate some facts about the objects found there: a confessional, candles and other objects, some of which we have already described.

When the Franciscans left the place, they took with them minutes, newspapers and their hope of evangelizing those lands. Some 25 years ago, perhaps more, the mission had a Franciscan guest, Francisco Miracle, who half restored the kitchen and had a 5 km gap built in those places. Currently this building remains almost completely abandoned, and only Mr. Francisco García eventually visits it and gives it a little maintenance within his limited possibilities.

INDICATION OF FRANCISCAN LIFE

In one of the rooms there is one more indication of the life that the Franciscans led. These are some books, "real jewels", magazines and photos, which most likely were part of the library. One of the photographs has this caption:

… I dedicate this humble memory to the very r.p. Guardian of Bucareli: Fray Isidoro M. Ávila in testimony of high appreciation and as a sign of having been a study companion and in the administration of the Parroquia de Escanela San José Amoles, January 17, 1913.

Vicente Aleman.

The stories never known, the walls about to fall and the collapsed dreams of the Franciscans were left behind in a few hours, but not without leaving us with deep sadness due to the impotence to rescue what threatens to be lost among the mountains. Those who could populate that place emigrate because there is no land for agriculture and the few crops that could grow are invaded by pests. However, we had achieved our goal, and this left us with an unforgettable feeling. "In truth, to understand our present, we must know the past, and to know it we must take care of what remains of it."

We started our way back, now through San Joaquín, previously crossing a river. The ascent was difficult but no less beautiful than the descent. Little by little the mission remained in the distance and from above it was perceived as a tiny point in the immensity.