Viewing page 38 of 101

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[left page]]

Souls taken from Purgatory by lottery

9omit-
virgin of Zapotan

[[end page
[[start page]]


in out of the way indian villages I was often surprised to see a large sign "Escuela Oficial Para NiƱos" showing that the government is actively at work trying to raise the standing of the poor. 

The priests among other things have a lottery of souls that they practice as follows. A Gregorian mass is supposed to take a soul out of purgatory but is expensive ranging from 60 to 100 dollars, so is beyond reach of poor people. In order to get around this a notice is stuck on church doors now & then announcing that one of these masses is to be said and that a certain number of tickets will be sold for it at 1 00 each. These tickets are sold & before the mass begins a drawing is [[strikethrough]] held [[/strikethrough]] made by the priest & whoever holds the lucky number has mass said for the soul of his relative. 

Virgin of Zapopan

The virgin of Zapopan (a small village near Guadalajara) is a favorite local patroness. I saw posted on the