Sisal: Peregrinacion del Cristo Negro
On Sunday, we left the house at 4:30 a.m. to drive about an hour to Sisal, a small fishing village with some beachfront hotels and restaurants and one main pier reaching into the Gulf of Mexico. Once a year, they take the dark wood statue of Christ out of the local church and cruise him around the Gulf for a couple of hours to bless the waters. We found a guide and joined the 100 or so other launchas following behind Jesus and his entourage of musicians and guys lighting off firecrackers.
"Sisal is Yucatán’s only coastal Magical Town, where everyone goes by nicknames rather than their actual names, and which once was the most important port in the state. This port still hosts an event that truly left me in awe: the maritime pilgrimage of the Black Christ of Sisal. For locals, el Señor de Sisal (the Lord of Sisal), as he is known, watches over the lives of fishermen and blesses the sea that sustains the community. This year, the celebration was even more memorable as, for the 70th anniversary of the procession, Our Lady of Tetiz was invited to join the Christ for the first time, a moment that will stay with everyone lucky enough to witness this historic occasion.
"As with many ancient legends, the story of the Lord of Sisal has several versions depending on whom you ask. Most agree that this figure appeared on the shores of Sisal after a shipwreck. Some say it arrived as part of a ship’s cargo that sank, while others claim it was found by local fishermen. Additionally, some assert that the Black Christ arrived accompanied by two other “brothers”: the Christ of San Román in Campeche and, depending on the source, the third could be either the Christ of Love in Kinchil or the Christ of Dzilam de Bravo. Since Sisal did not have a church at the time, the Black Christ was taken to Hunucmá, where it resides most of the year in the Parish of San Francisco de Asís.
"The mass, which precedes the procession, begins around 7 am at the pier, where the solemnity of the service blends with the soft sea breeze. After the mass, the custodians place the Black Christ on his exclusive boat, the Santa Rita. This year, due to the special visit of the Virgin of Tetiz, a new boat was assigned to her. Along with them, the charanga (musical band) and the banners board two additional boats, ensuring that the music and songs continue throughout the journey. These procession leaders are followed by hundreds of boats, all united in a floating parade that fills the sea and the hearts of the participants."
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