Mamie and the Cathedral of Toledo
By Fr. Rafael Alonso
Mamie often went to Toledo, Spain, before living there in the imperial city for a time. She liked to visit several religious sites: the cathedral, the Church of St. John (the Jesuits), the Church of St. Michael, assigned to the Parish of Sts. Justus and Pastor, and a small shrine which was a tiny parish under the patronage of St. Julian. We would occasionally visit other sites as well, since Toledo has such a rich history of Catholic spirituality.
There were many occasions to go to the cathedral because it was the location of many liturgical celebrations, above all priestly ministries and ordinations. We always had the custom of doing one thing there: praying in the back of the Church, before a polychrome bas-relief of Christ, right after he was taken down from the cross, before the sorrowful gaze of His Mother, the Virgin Mary, St. John and a few others, with great black pincers as a symbol of the crucifixion, filling the soul of those contemplating it with fright.
There in the imposing silence, barely able to hear the noise of a visitor passing by, we prayed profoundly. At that time there was a kneeler so as to remain a while in quiet and peaceful prayer. It seemed that even time stopped.
It was a good custom to have the kneeler there because the Christian soul does not only pray before the Blessed Sacrament but also before images that particularly touch his religious sensibility and that help him to remember how much Our Lord suffered for him. This is what we did. There, behind the bas-relief, was an image in commemoration of a most important event for the people of Toledo: the descent of the Blessed Virgin, amidst angels, to give a chasuble to St. Ildephonsus of Toledo. This chasuble was preserved in the cathedral until the arrival of the Muslim invasion, when it was taken to the North of Spain, to the Cathedral of Oviedo, where a fire destroyed it in the 13th century. We would go there to pray a Hail Mary or a Hail Holy Queen in thanksgiving for the gift that Our Lady made to this great saint who has always been venerated by the people of Toledo.
Mamie had a great devotion for these saints. In fact, every time we would go on a trip, we would always visit a place sanctified by them. It is thus not surprising that, while in Toledo, we would visit with great spiritual fervor the Cathedral which was so full of the presence of these saints. Yet we did not only go to the previous mentioned spot in the cathedral, but also to the chapel of Our Lady of the Tabernacle. I can still see Mamie on her knees, with the crucifix she always carried in her hands, profoundly recollected, praying with an intimacy that denoted how high her soul was flying. Seeing her thus pray in this sacred place, encouraged one to try to fly as high as her to reach our Lord. Seeing her pray, it seemed easy to pray. One also felt one’s soul elevated, unable to resist the fascination of her recollection. So much so that, when one left the chapel, one was wrapped in silence, as if time did not want it to disappear.
©HM Magazine No. 135 - March/April 2007
