Catedral de Tampico

We have a booklet that shows places where tourists might want to visit in Tampico and we have decided to see those sites.  Today we wanted to see the cathedral in Tampico and knew it was closed from about noon until about 3 p.m. so we arrived early.

We stepped in and I was quite overcome by how huge it was and the high and vaulted ceilings.  It has been well cared for and there was gold leafing in the designs and they had paintings of the 12 Stations of the Cross on the walls. We were first introduced to those stations at Monserratte in Bogota, Colombia.  Bruce Porter had told our Jerusalem tour group of the stations.  He said that the Catholics believe that Jesus had fallen three times  carrying his cross to Golgatha.  We saw those 12 steps on the walls with the 3 falls plus Veronica apparently had wiped his faith with a cloth which came away with an imprint of his face on it.  We saw a Jesus on a cross and someone had kindly sewn him some gold threaded white silk Bermudas to wear.  There was a life-sized statue of Mary clothed in blue and looking at Jesus.  She was surrounded by fresh flowers.   There were a people sitting on the benches and some were in an attitude of prayer.  A few in the front looked like they were having a class.  On the side, a woman was intently speaking to a priest in what we assume was the confessional box.   Paul took several photos and I asked him to stand by the back door and take a sweeping movie of the beautiful Cathedral.