Beyond Guadalupe: The Eucharist, the Cult of Saints, and Local Religion in Eighteenth-Century Mexico City

Abstract

This article charts new ground within the historiography on colonial Mexican piety by arguing that the Virgin of Guadalupe did not dominate devotions in Mexico City even in the late colonial period. Rather, the single most important focus for pious attention was the Eucharist. Even in terms of Marian devotions, Our Lady of Sorrows figured as importantly as Guadalupe. Universal devotions like the Eucharist and Our Lady of Sorrows have received scant attention in scholarly literature on colonial Mexican piety, which has been guided by the concept of local religion, an analytical lens that largely overlooks the universal Church and its liturgy. This article calls upon scholars to attend more closely to the Mass and liturgy.