Nota: Este contenido tiene una versión original en español
San Francisco Temple it’s located in 5 Mayo boulevard and 14 Oriente avenue, the first convent stablished in Puebla and were is adored the uncorrupt body of Friar San Sebastian de Aparicio.
According to Puebla’s Guide of Religious Heritage, the Franciscan convent of Puebla City is linked with the city’s origins. Friar Toribio de Benavente performed its foundation mass on April 16, 1531.
Temple remodelling
It’s construction concluded in 1585, however, as all the churches, it has many architectural and artistic reforms that modified its original shape. One of the most important was the neo-classic remodeling of Jose Manzo and Julian Ordoñez in 1835, this one disappeared to give back it’s original simple aspect.
During XVII century was modified the facade with quarry stone, red brick, and tiles, with a similar design of the wood altarpiece inside the churches.
Here were mixed white glazed table tops, well known as Talavera poblana, with red brick. Each one represents jars with polychromatic bouquet of flowers, branch, and leaf, as a symbols of the Inmaculada Concepción, protector of the Puebla’s diocese.
In the walls are preserved three canvases with Franciscan theme. The first one represents “The fruit of the seraphic religion” as the billboard that in the lower left corner shows.
The second one represents the first twelve Franciscans that arrived to the New Spain to peach and share Christ gospel. The last one is the most dramatic and its theme is “Gorkum’s Martyrs” that represents the martyrdom of the 19 friars.
San Sebastian de Aparicio, Drivers Patron Saint
Inside the chapel’s temple it’s Friar San Sebastian de Aparicio’s body. He is drivers patron saint, he used to go out with his wagons loaded with firewood, because he was a cart driver.
It was the reason why car drivers made a long line to receive his blessing. According to some legends, Sebastian Aparicio life always was full of miracles,
It’s said that as newborn got infected of a disease during an epidemy and he was abandoned by his mom in the borders of the city, after that he was rescued by a wolf after bit him having a bleeding that by miracle cured him.
After widowed twice, he decided to take the Franciscan habit when he was 71 years old, and by proving his vocation, he was accepted into the friary in Mexico and sent to Tecali and Puebla.
During his friar life, dedicated himself to collecting alms to take care of his brothers, he passed away on February 20, 1600 in the convent of Puebla.
A success after his dead, when the foundations of the chapel Virgen Conquistadora (Conquering Virgin) was that his uncorrupt body was found and place on a table to venerated by the faithful community.
As a consequence his fingers and skin were removed, even the theft of her head in order to obtain relics. The head was recovered in poor condition, so it was covered with a wax mask.
In 1789, after his beatification, public worship was allowed and his remains were placed in the urn that is preserved nowadays.
Translation by: Luba Michelle García Vega
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POB/PCL
