Already a member? Not a member? Sign up Explore our Food Tours → On my way out of Oaxaca center and on to the city of Santa Catarina Minas a good friend suggested I make a pit stop to visit “Frida.” Him: “You’d better go and try her chile encuerado.” I find my way to Mercado Morelos in Ocotlán’s main square and immediately head for the many eateries in the medium-sized market’s food aisle butterflies and other insects – with these tell-tale motifs of the tormented artist there can be no mistaking La Cocina de Frida a traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle and a cornerstone of our local cuisine Wearing a colorfully embroidered frock and fresh flowers in her hair this Frida sports a sweet smile beneath her bold brows While Frida Kahlo the painter was born in Coyoacán our Frida is from here in Oaxaca (like Kahlo’s mother) Frida/Beatriz brings breakfast over to the table: pan de yema (egg yolk bread) and chocolate de agua (Mexican hot chocolate). The drink is aromatic and delicate, the best I have tried on this latest trip to Oaxaca. As I sit contemplating the chocolate, a tasting plate of moles and salsas arrives and I realize why my friend insisted I come to Frida’s velvet textures and flavors of each mole are total knockouts I feel I should leave the rest of my meal in Frida/Beatriz’s hands She sends out carne de puerco con verdolagas (pork with purslane) purslane season would mean my mom cooking up batches of the succulent weed giving them an al dente exterior and a suavecito (tender) center has been working in a kitchen for 26 years and it’s clear she knows what she is doing “I first learned how to cook thanks to my father Her customers are regulars who come for the mole estofado The latter are prepared using a Oaxacan chile known as chile de agua It is stuffed with almond-roasted chicken and served inside a tortilla plated over a stew of the customer’s choosing This is not food intended to please tourists The homage to the famous artist is no gimmick or millennial marketing So I shoot the question directly to Beatriz: “Frida why are you Frida?” She smiles at me and says: “Several years ago people started saying I look like Frida Kahlo Frida has brought us good luck.” That luck carried them through the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic – La Cocina de Frida is a survivor “We had to close for five months because we couldn’t operate with just two customers a day The expenses were getting higher and higher,” she says Now they are back to serving their regulars at Mercado Morelos Ocotlán is well known for its historic tianguis (open-air markets) fine craftsmanship (like the bespoke hats at Alberly Sombrero) handmade pottery and the Rodolfo Morales museum Morales was one of the most important Mexican painters of the 20th century whose legacy lives on in its own way at Ocotlán’s La Cocina de Frida I finish my enchiladas verdes with carne adobada (marinated pork) knowing both La Cocina de Frida and Frida Kahlo’s name are in the loving hands of a true cook from Oaxaca our most notable Nobel-winning poet: Mexicans are beings who like to wear masks loading map - please wait...Map could not be loaded - please enable Javascript!→ more information 2/7 People socialize while entertainers perform in a La Puente backyard Many of those at the fiesta were from Ocotlan in Mexico’s Jalisco state -- a “magical city” that is now under the shadow of drug war violence 3/7 Father Sergio de Jesus Reyes Chiquito blesses Jose Lozano after a fiesta Mass in a La Puente backyard 4/7 Jose Angel sings Mexican songs during the La Puente celebration 5/7 A collection is taken as Father Sergio de Jesus Reyes de Jesus Reyes Chiquito leads Mass 6/7 Father Sergio de Jesus Reyes de Jesus Reyes Chiquito blesses a horse after the fiesta Mass “God never leaves us,” he told those who gathered to hear him 7/7 A man holds a Catholic scapula as a reminder of his committment to Christian life Print The children paid no heed to the priest from Jalisco as he celebrated a fiesta Mass in the backyard of a La Puente ranch or to their parents urging them to sit still for themisa They were too busy studying the animals they didn’t see in Los Angeles every day: a small herd of goats a single black pig — and a troupe of dancing horses The mothers and fathers didn’t share their children’s sense of awe the horses and the smell of manure that hung heavy in the air made them nostalgic NEWSLETTER: Get the day’s top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> a city more than 1,500 miles away in Mexico’s Jalisco state and you might spot a not-unusual sight: a car or truck sporting a sticker bearing its name The T in the middle is elongated in the shape of a cross (()=>{const e=document.getElementById("yt-img-YGBhm-tSOEY");e&&e.addEventListener("load",(t=>{t.target.naturalWidth<=120&&(e.parentNode.children[0].srcset=e.parentNode.children[1].srcset=e.src)}),{once:!0})})() Although violence is creeping into Ocotlan in the Mexican state of Jalisco Southern California residents with ties back home keep their traditions alive through celebrations the priest told the familiar story of how the fiesta came to be After an earthquake devastated Ocotlan in the fall of 1847 the townspeople attended a Mass outside a ruined church And that’s where they saw a vision of Jesus on a cross — known to Ocotlenses as el Señor de la Misericordia celebrations have been held on both sides of the border thousands pack the small city near the shores of Lake Chapala coming from all over the country to see the performers and the fireworks lighting the sky Plans for a live streaming broadcast of the fiesta back in Ocotlan fell victim to technical difficulties None of that stopped the crowd from conjuring memories of home “It’ll never leave your heart,” said Antonio Rangel who left Ocotlan for California 30 years ago and the people in Southern California who love it Mexico has sent its sons and daughters north and no Mexican state has done that more than Jalisco Jalisco gave birth to so many things associated with Mexican culture that the state’s motto is “Jalisco is Mexico.” Jalisco is probably “the state that has the most people in the U.S executive vice president of the Woodrow Wilson Center “It’s almost the birthplace of the migration trends to the States.” Jalisco had offered a relative reprieve from the gruesome drug violence convulsing much of Mexico and the next month an army helicopter was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade A confrontation in May between federal forces and suspected drug cartel members on a ranch in the neighboring state of Michoacan left 42 dead and those in places like the San Gabriel Valley who have roots there giving a somber undertone to the yearly ritual of celebrating their connection to a land they loved ‘Thank God it’s not in Jalisco,’” said Patricia Castillo preached of the Jalisco everyone in the crowd knew well Ocotlan is framed by hills thick and green with trees and bushes during the rainy season with little arroyos wending down the canyons The priest knew things were not what they once were there He tried to instill a sense of hope in the congregants “God never leaves us,” he told those gathered in the backyard on folding metal seats But sometimes it didn’t seem that way to the people in Ocotlan and their relatives in the U.S. more afraid of waking up their parents than anything else curfew residents follow for their own safety Ocotlenses living in Southern California say they worry about being kidnapped or killed when they visit or having that fate befall a family member a former boxer from Ocotlan who lives in Sacramento But as with many Mexicans in the United States Medina’s family has been touched by the violence south of the border two of his cousins — a father and son — were shot dead in the crossfire of drug traffickers fighting in the streets of his native city I thought one day it might come to Jalisco,” he said of the violence that has infected Mexico she saw homes pockmarked with bullet holes this is normal to you?” She pleaded with her to come to the U.S “Everyone is living through this,” her mother told her In Mexico it’s a precarious proposition to count on the government for the public good so the people at the fiesta were helping to raise money to build an orphanage for street children in Ocotlan “We’re trying to rescue these kids on the street so they can have a better opportunity and they won’t have to get into drugs because they’re lacking something,” said Miguel Botello We have to continue fighting to give them a better opportunity.” there were signs of people’s connection to the city and Jalisco One man wore a T-shirt with the words “Hecho en Ocotlan while another boasted of the “Ocotlan” tattoo on his chest People hoisted clay jugs filled with tequila and Squirt soda Men and women danced across a dirt floor underneath the dim sky as legendary Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez’s familiar baritone boomed from the speakers “I’m heading to Ocotlan,” say the lyrics to the song “El Jalicience.” “How beautiful is Jalisco.” The children were wowed by horses kicking up dirt in the backyard their riders making the animals appear to dance to the music “Esta bailando el caballo!” one little girl shouted pointing to a horse a few feet in front of her its tail swaying as it moved to the beat of drums and horns A group of men stopped dancing to pose for a photo Castillo capturing the moment as the men cheered the most famous of Mexican cheers the “Chiquitibum,” typically heard at Mexican sporting events smiled as the cheer wound down and the music kicked up again she gets so homesick she visits Plaza Mexico a shopping center in Lynwood built as an architectural paean to the motherland Twice a year she visits her parents and siblings back home spending a week or two and celebrating Christmas in Mexico hoping to instill the cultural values she was raised with But those visits are no longer so carefree She likens the problems facing her hometown and state to the mud puddles her daughter played in after the rains in Ocotlan “It’s like you’re in the mud and you don’t want to get dirty,” she said “Sooner or later you’re going to get dirty.” brittny.mejia@latimes.com Twitter: @brittny_mejia Hoy: Léa esta historia en español Team of sleuths stalks cancer in L.A. 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Important ideas and practical advice: Code Switch features fearless and much-needed conversations about race—and Life Kit offers practical advice on things in life no one prepared you for Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX Reveal is public radio’s first one-hour radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting A weekly program presented by the New Yorker magazine’s editor killer beats and the edgiest new talent in storytelling come together for a weekly show that straps audiences into an audio rollercoaster Radiolab is known for its deep-dive journalism and innovative sound design Created in 2002 by former host Jad Abumrad the program began as an exploration of scientific inquiry Over the years it has evolved to become a platform for long-form journalism and storytelling Radiolab is hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser One of Birrieria Ocotlan’s most popular versions of birria is the birria quesotaco Here’s a closer look at one of the area’s delicious dishes you don’t want to miss Ramon Reyes dreamt of opening up a restaurant in Chicago ever since his uncle sent a postcard from the city when he was young Reyes got his big break after buying a breakfast diner in South Chicago for $5,000 Reyes’ wife questioned what he planned to do with the newly purchased eatery a traditional Mexican dish normally made with goat meat that can be served as a stew or taco filling we’re f- - -ed,’ ” their son Andres Reyes recalled with a laugh Fast forward nearly 50 years and the Reyes’ family-owned and operated restaurant is thriving — so much so they opened a second location in 1992 on the Far South Side near the Illinois-Indiana border Birrieria Ocotlan manager Andres Reyes at his family’s restaurant The restaurant’s name is a nod to its signature dish has had a recent boom in popularity in part due to a 2019 Super Bowl ad by a California taco truck and social media You can dunk the tacos in the consommé made with some of the meat’s juices Reyes believes Birrieria Ocotlan’s birria tacos reign supreme amongst their competitors who said one of Birrieria Ocotlan’s most popular versions is the birria quesotaco A century-old family recipe that has been passed down for generations beginning with the younger Reyes’ great grandfather though Reyes wouldn’t give the exact number “What separates ours from the rest is that we cook literally everything separate and in bulk,” Reyes said The meat — they serve both goat and beef tacos — cooks in the broth for about five hours add in tomato base and bring the consommé to a boil before adding their mix of “secret spices.” Reyes also adds extra seasoning to the meat on the side after it’s done cooking but I see a lot of people really mess up birria,” Reyes said you’re essentially taking flavor away from the dish.” The cilantro and lime is also a nice touch “I believe that chocolate is the essence of life Birrieria Ocotlan, 4007 E. 106th St. The birria taco is $2.50; quesatacos $3. Visit birrieriaocotlan.com Got a favorite dish from a Chicago-area restaurant Let us know via email at: dishinonthedish@suntimes.com Birria quesotacos are cooked at Birrieria Ocotlan Terms of Use • Privacy Notice • Cookie Policy • Terms of Sale CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Oxnard Councilwoman Dorina Padilla poses for a photo with members of the Ocotlán fire department which received uniforms and fire engine donations from the city CONTRIBUTED PHOTO An Oxnard fire engine is seen in Ocotlán Oxnard officials have a tendency to brag about their city Two council members recently bragged about Oxnard to some very faraway places Councilwoman Dorina Padilla returned from a trip to Ocotlán made through the sister cities program and Councilwoman Carmen Ramirez returned from a multicity tour of China as a trade delegate Residents of Ocotlán are quite familiar with Oxnard The sister city relationship was first formed in 1964 she and others in her group were escorted from the airport by a fire engine donated by Oxnard There's even a street there named after Oxnard Ramirez didn't meet anyone who had heard of Oxnard or Ventura County But she made a presentation about Oxnard and handed out souvenirs 'The things I told them about Oxnard was a hit,' Ramirez said 'They think California coastal life is a dream.' Channel Islands National Park brochures and jars of strawberry jam Ramirez later realized that the lapel pins she had brought with her were made in China It was strictly a trade and investment trip But politics crept up here and there with some Chinese people curious about Donald Trump and asking about the presidential candidate In addition to visiting ancient temples and the Great Wall Ramirez visited a steel foundry and a power plant also took the delegation to the headquarters of WeChat There Ramirez learned about the shake function which enables users to find services and even love with the shake of a smartphone Ramirez was among a group that included state Treasurer John Chiang Southern California and Nevada mayors and business leaders The trip was paid for by the U.S.-Sino Friendship Association and the Chinese government there's a lot of room for common ground,' Ramirez said people are really attracted to what the U.S Some Chinese cities have expressed interest in developing a sister city relationship with Oxnard But she said that may be difficult considering the distance and language barrier fire equipment and even uniforms to Ocotlán Oxnard fire officials have also provided training to Ocotlán firefighters It's a great way to build city-to-city diplomacy She stayed in the downtown area with a host family and viewed some of the mixed-use development something Oxnard hopes to have in its downtown 'The program is an opportunity for cities to engage with one another share customs and see what works in each municipal setting,' Padilla said The trip is paid through fundraising from the sister city program and by the participant Looking remarkably like the fabled Mexican artist Beatriz Vázquez Gómez also draws crowds with her speciality cooking Deep inside the market in the town of Ocotlán de Morelos, 35km south of Oaxaca City in southern Mexico, the artist Frida Kahlo is still alive Every morning before heading to her food stall in the town’s central market who bears a striking resemblance to the Mexican artist She puts on bright lipstick and a traditional Tehuana long embroidered skirt puts flowers in her hair and pencils in the prominent Kahlo brows She then walks past hundreds of vendors selling fresh blue-corn tortillas fried chapulines (grasshoppers) and gusanos de maguey (mezcal worms) the state known as Mexico’s culinary capital Chicken mole is a dish Beatriz has cooked all her life Photograph: Omar Torres/AFP/Getty ImagesBeatriz’s mother opened this food stall 60 years ago but many people in the market told me I looked like the painter,” she says “So I read about her and she became my hero While seeing La Frida Kahlo de Ocotlán in the flesh is what draws people to the market locals and tourists stay for her Oaxacan specialities Communal tables at Frida’s are usually full of shoppers tucking in to typical fare such as estofado (stew) enfrijoladas (tortillas folded around creamy black beans) chiles rellenos (stuffed chillies) and her famous mole coloradito (spicy red sauce) “This is what I’ve cooked all my life,” Beatriz says “I love preparing mole – toasting chillies By Kara Carlson on July 2 to include costs of plant closing Irving-based chemicals company Celanese Corp announced Friday that it will shut down its plant in Ocotlán The company said it will discontinue production of acetate flake at the site and cease all manufacturing by Oct The shutdown follows previous reductions at the plant the location discontinued acetate tow production The shutdown will cost Celanese as much as $110 million in severance costs, contract terminations and depreciation, according to a regulatory filing Business BriefingBecome a business insider with the latest news GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Celanese also will invest about $3 million at a plant in Narrows where it will continue producing acetate flake along with a facility in Lanaken the company said the shutdown is part of a larger consolidation of global acetate manufacturing align future production capacities with anticipated demand.” Marcel van Amerongen, vice president of Celanese's acetate tow business, said in a statement that the decision lets the company optimize costs and footprint. “With China manufacturers completing plans for expanding acetate flake capacity in 2020, demands for imported flake will be reduced significantly,” van Amerongen said. The company has 7,700 employees worldwide. At the end of 2018, it had 648 employees at three facilities in Mexico, including the Ocotlán plant. “This was an extremely difficult decision given the impact to our employees and the local community, and we are dedicated to making this transition as smooth as possible,” van Amerogen said. “Today’s action is not a reflection of the quality of work performed by our employees at the Ocotlán site." Thank you for reading. We welcome your thoughts on this topic. Comments are moderated for adherence to our Community Guidelines Please read the guidelines before participating The town still bears the scars from the unprecedented offensive launched by a powerful Mexican drug cartel against government forces: bullet-pocked buildings and blood stains on the street The March 19 ambush that killed five federal gendarmerie officers three gang suspects and three bystanders in Ocotlan signaled the start of a conflict between the authorities and the Jalisco New Generation Drug Cartel The well-armed gang took its operation to a new level on April 6 when it surprised a Jalisco state police convoy gunning down 15 officers in the deadliest single day for Mexico's security forces in years of a bloody drug war The western state of Jalisco is known as the birthplace of tequila mariachis and the country's most popular football team But now it is also known as the home of the New Generation a rising power of Mexico's underworld that had been overshadowed until now by other groups such as the Sinaloa Officials say the Jalisco cartel has grown so powerful that it has produced its own assault rifles in makeshift gun assembly shops The gang has even recruited military deserters "They were waiting for the moment when they felt strong to start this escalation," Luis Carlos Najera authorities discovered a clandestine workshop with sophisticated equipment to build M16 and R15 rifles Some of the homemade weapons were found following the recent attacks The cartel has drawn the attention of the U.S which has funded Mexico's battle against drug cartels by providing equipment Treasury Department slapped financial sanctions against the New Generation and its shadowy boss The gang has expanded beyond Jalisco into neighboring Michoacan and Colima while forging ties with other criminal organizations in the United States The growing power of the cartel is evident in the destruction it has left behind in Ocotlan "My house was hit by 138 bullets," said an Ocotlan resident who asked to remain anonymous due to safety concerns The woman said she and her husband laid on the floor during the March 19 shootout some 40 gunmen waited inside 12 pick-up trucks for the arrival of the convoy carrying the gendarmerie a new elite police force launched last year by President Enrique Pena Nieto The gangsters fired from several sides and rooftops Soldiers rushed to the scene and burst into homes to find the shooters People spent the night without light or telephone service because utility poles were hit in the firefight a new ambush was launched against the state police convoy curvy road in a mountain between Guadalajara and the Pacific resort town of Puerto Vallarta The gang parked cars on the road to slow the arrival of reinforcements as they gunned down 15 officers The assailants used a Barrett anti-tank rifles and grenades against the convoy said Jalisco security commissioner Francisco Alejandro Solorio investigators found a camp that the gunmen had used to wait for the arrival of the police There was food and other supplies as well as makeshift beds "We hear they had been there for several days," Solorio said The security chief was himself the target of a March 30 assassination bid which he escaped unscathed after firing his own weapon against his assailants The last victim of the April 6 offensive was the police chief in the town of Zacoalco "They stuck a knife in his heart with a message," said Maria Huerta who runs a shop in front of the scene of the crime The message said the gang they would go after more officers black ribbon hung at the town hall of Zacoalco as a symbol of mourning in the municipality of 27,000 people Before the New Generation attacks the town was relatively peaceful until state police shot and killed the gangs regional leader Najera said that the gang's offensive is a response to the blows that state authorities have dealt against the group "We've been fighting alone for a long time." Authentic handmade crafts abound in the rural valley and highlands near the city of Oaxaca Mexico — In a tiny village in the Oaxaca highlands in southwestern Mexico Macrina Mateo Martinez tells her story as she deftly shapes red clay from the nearby El Picacho mountain she quickly forms a simple but elegant pot to be fired in an open pit with the same technique that her Zapotec forebears have used for 3,500 years Her ancestors once bartered the pots for food Mateo Martinez’s father carried pots on his back or on a donkey to be sold Mateo Martinez’s extended family of about 20 lives and works in her compound in San Marcos Tlapazola where she has created pottery that has made her well known lace-topped dresses that look like something from the Old West Many of the older folks speak only Zapotec The city of Oaxaca may be renowned as one of Mexico’s cultural capitals and an alluring foodie destination but much of the region’s cultural story is found in places such as Mateo Martinez’s simple compound at the end of a dirt-and-gravel road of styles and techniques handed down over centuries of villages that have prospered around a single craft unhurried lives working together to make distinctive pieces I bought one of Mateo Martinez’s red clay pots — just like the one she made while demonstrating her craft to us — for about $17 U.S Oaxaca city is a fine base for this adventure its 5,000-foot elevation moderates the heat an abundance of lodging and a walkable central core filled with colonial architecture tree-lined squares and interesting shops and cafes This is where to sample the martini-like drink known as a mezcalini (made with the increasingly popular Mexican liquor mezcal) or to try the tasty roasted chapulines (grasshoppers) with guacamole at a rooftop bar we visited with weaver Mariano Sosa Martinez who creates magnificent pieces both modern and filled with Zapotec iconography made from plants he cultivates with a solar-powered water pump Entering his showroom and workspace on a side street a few blocks from the village center you’re struck by the brilliant colors and ancient designs of the pieces adorning the walls Sosa Martinez is welcoming and eager to explain the process large tin pots sit atop open flames and natural wool fibers hang in loops The brilliant reds in his pieces come from cochineal insects that feed on the cactus Yellows come from marigold flowers and blue from the indigo plant Those three base colors produce a rainbow of shades The deep blue shade only emerges after oxygen is added to the process so the fibers were green when Sosa Martinez first lifted them from the pot deepening the longer it was exposed to oxygen we visited Irma Garcia Blanco at her home and workshop in Atzompa near one of the Zapotec ruins just outside Oaxaca city She demonstrated how she creates the embellished clay figures of women in the style pioneered by her mother whose work was collected by Nelson Rockefeller It was interesting to compare her unpainted pieces with those created by the also well-known Aguilar sisters in Ocotlan de Morelos We visited the shop of Josefina Aguilar to see her brightly painted figurines some carrying flowers in their arms or fruit atop their heads the Jimenez family demonstrated how they make alebrijes the surrealistic animals carved from the wood of the local copal tree and then painted in fantastical colors but the woodcarving tradition goes back to the indigenous Zapotecs But it was almost impossible not to make a purchase this folk art speaks volumes about the people who create it and their ancestors but none more so than Macrina Mateo Martinez’s This 46-year-old unmarried woman is somewhat of an outcast in her town gossiped about as indecent because of her travels to exhibit her work in places such as Guadalajara and cities in the U.S “I was the first woman to travel outside the village,” she explains Mateo Martinez strikes a pose outside the fuchsia and beige entry to her family compound That’s not something she’s always been able to do as her pottery has taken her to distant places she’s learned to become comfortable in front of the camera’s lens Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Mexico’s new militarised police was the target of the shootout – but three gang members and two bystanders also die Ten people were killed in a gunfight in western Mexico when suspected gang members ambushed a police convoy. It was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces since the Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto, took office in December 2012. Five members of Mexico’s new militarised police, or gendarmerie, were killed in the shootout on Thursday night in Ocotlán, Jalisco state, and eight others were wounded, the national security commission said in a statement. Two bystanders who apparently had nothing to do with the ambush and three suspected gang members were also killed. Units of the gendarmerie were patrolling the town south-east of the state capital, Guadalajara, the commission said. At least 10 vehicles took part in the attack on police, with the assailants firing high-powered rifles before being beaten back. Some of the attackers fled. Read morePolice confiscated seven firearms and four fragmentation grenades at the scene as well as five vehicles believed to have belonged to the assailants Jalisco has been plagued by fighting between the Jalisco “New Generation” drug cartel and the “Knights Templar” a drug gang from the neighbouring state of Michoacán that has been gradually weakened by the capture or killing of its leaders More than 100,000 people have been killed in gang-related violence in Mexico over the past eight years Bringing peace to Mexico was Enrique Peña Nieto’s first promise when he took office in 2012 The gendarmerie was created to lead the government’s efforts to restore order albeit on a smaller scale than originally envisaged have been battling each other for years for a common end; The absolute control of the territories With an operation network from coast to coast, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has been positioning itself like one of the criminal groups with the greatest operating capacity in Mexico as of 2012. With that capacity, its leader, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes is one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords With the capture and deaths of important key pieces of the Sinaloa Cartel emerged as the most notable criminal group declaring war on all other Mexican cartels and making clear its intention to take control of the city of Guadalajara With a criminal status of "Fugitive," the leader of the CJNG is known for his aggressive leadership and sensationalist acts of violence. The Rolling Stones magazine dedicated an article to Mexico's next-generation narco and a powerful "guy with zero regard for human life." Here are 20 important things you might want to know about Rubén Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes: Lima 2016 / 06:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- It’s a major miracle that you’ve probably never heard of Mexico saw a perfect image of Jesus Christ crucified that appeared in the sky for more than 30 minutes Approved by the Archdiocese of Guadalajara in 1911 the phenomenon is known as the “Miracle of Ocotlán” and took place one day before an earthquake that killed 40 and left the town in Jalisco State in ruins Before the start of Mass at the cemetery of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception – presided over by the parochial vicar Father Julián Navarro – two white clouds joined together in the northwest sky Those present and in nearby towns were deeply moved have mercy!” This apparition of Christ was called “the Lord of Mercy” and in his honor Also among the faithful who witnessed the miracle were Father Julián Martín del Campo Both of them sent letters to their respective superiors telling what had happened a record of the event was written down with 30 eye-witnesses attesting by order of the then-Archbishop of Guadalajara with 30 additional persons including five priests the Archbishop of Guadalajara at that time signed a document validating the apparition of Jesus Christ at Ocotlán and the devotion and veneration given by the people of that area to the venerated statue of our Lord of Mercy located in the shrine of the same name “We must acknowledge as an historical fact the apparition of the blessed image of Jesus Christ Crucified…and that it could not have been the work of an hallucination or fraud in the sight of more than 2,000 people,” the cardinal said He also stated so that the Lord of Mercy would never be forgotten the faithful must “gather together in whatever manner possible after purifying their consciences with the holy sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion and solemnly swear in the presence of God that year after year they will celebrate the October 3 anniversary.” After its approval and to comply with the provisions of the Archbishop of Guadalajara in 1912 they began public festivities in honor of the Lord of Mercy Saint John Paul II sent his Apostolic Blessing to the people of Ocotlán on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the miracle http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/that-time-jesus-appeared-in-the-sky-of-mexico-90663/ View All Resources From out of the blue, in a sort of "throwback Thursday" feature, the Catholic News Agency (CNA) website came up with an article on the "Miracle of Ocotlán," a phenomenon that took place on a Sunday, Oct. 3, 1847, when more than 2,000 people in Ocotlán, Mexico reportedly saw a clear image of Jesus Christ crucified that appeared in the sky for more than 30 minutes. CNA says it's a verified major miracle that many people probably never heard of. The day after the image of Jesus Christ appeared in the sky, an earthquake rocked the Mexican state of Jalisco, killing 40 people and leaving Ocotlán in ruins, according to CNA. According to the witnesses at that time, two white clouds joined together in the northwest sky where there appeared the image of Christ. The phenomenon occurred before the start of Mass at the cemetery of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. Those present during the Mass and in nearby towns were deeply moved at the sight. They made acts of contrition and cried out begging, "Lord, have mercy!" The apparition of Christ was called "the Lord of Mercy" and in his honour, in September 1875, a new parish church was blessed, consecrated and dedicated to Him. On Sept. 29, 1911, 64 years after the miracle in the sky took place, the Archbishop of Guadalajara at that time, Cardinal José de Jesús Ortiz y Rodríguez, signed a document validating the apparition of Jesus Christ at Ocotlán. "We must acknowledge as an historical fact, perfectly proven, the apparition of the blessed image of Jesus Christ Crucified...and that it could not have been the work of an hallucination or fraud, since it happened in broad daylight, in the sight of more than 2,000 people," Rodríguez said. The cardinal also declared Oct. 3 as anniversary of the Lord of Mercy. Mexicans have been celebrating the occasion every since. The celebration currently lasts 13 days, from Sept. 20 to Oct. 3. In 1997, Saint John Paul II sent his Apostolic Blessing to the people of Ocotlán on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the miracle. How can churches and Christians build on the 'quiet revival'? 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