Yuku free message boards

The Bells of Guadalupe
By Ron C. Walker

Next time you have a moment to view of the Church of Guadalupe in the center of town, observe the beautiful lady under the crown who recently returned home. For 82 years, she has been a constant witness to the everyday life of Puerto Vallarta. She is bright and shining now. She weighs in at just shy of 3 tons. She is a bronze bell lifted to her tower on July 18th, her personal sanctuary for over eight decades of town history.
She arrived a few days ago from the State of Hidalgo. Making large church bells has been the profession in several small towns off the highway in the mountains between Pachuca and Tamazunchale for over two centuries. The process remains rustic, with molds placed in fire-pits. Molten metals are poured in and allowed to cool over several days. Burnishing then follows. Bell-making is as much an art as a science.
As described by Sr. Cura (parish priest) Esteban Salazar Gonzalez, the bell was originally placed in the tower of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in 1926, not that many years after the church began building and was dedicated on October 12, 1921. The parish priest in Puerto Vallarta at that time was Padre Francisco Ayala, well-loved and remembered. At the time, the religious conviction of the people of Puerto Vallarta was such that the bell was raised to the tower by hand by the men of the town. Mexico was just entering into the Cristero War, much of provincial Mexico was at odds with the federal government over religion. Local families of Puerto Vallarta which date back to that time will mention some family lore which includes conflicts, sacrifices and even family member losses. In most areas of Mexico, religious services were suspended.
She was originally a more brittle bronze and, over the years, suffered damages from use. This is the third founding, the first time in the 1960's and again in 1982. On May 14, 2008, she was removed from her home again for repairs. She has been witness to the early years of Puerto Vallarta as a "Municipality", beginning in 1918, the Banana Bonanza in Ixtapa which lasted until 1936, the World War years when military leaders led the town, the arrival of the first paved roads, and, more recently, the growth of tourism.
But even bells get tired. After a short absence from Puerto Vallarta for repairs, she returns with a new alloy mixture of 56% of the original bronze, 35% copper and 9% tin. Cost for repairs, $400,000 Pesos. Her 2,916 kilos were hoisted into the Guadalupe crown by crane this time, not man-power in defiance of federal restrictions. She rejoined the other 14 bells in the tower to continue as witness of the next several decades of Puerto Vallarta history. The 42 kilo "badajo" (clapper) was affixed and she again began to toll over the religious festivals and daily celebrations of mass. You will hear her tones for years to come. The cannon (from where she hangs) and sound bow (lowest circumference), are impressive. She is a stalwart lady to mark time of the city.
"Badajo" is of Arab origin and can be traced to the Extremadura Region of Spain. Badajoz is a major city on the Guadiana River on the border with Portugal. The primary entrance to the city is an impressive white-stoned, castle wall and arched gate that dates from Roman times. Mining in this region and metal forging were practiced since before the Roman Empire and Badajoz, even today, is known for making …bells.