I think one important thing to remember about the Fidencista Movement, or Fidencismo, as the religion is called, is the absolutely essential part photography plays in the dissemination of its gospel. You can imagine the impact photographs would have on bolstering religious faith. For perhaps the first time in the history of divinity, the presence of photographs can prove beyond any doubt the existence of its main man. In this new Dispensation of Technology, the faith factor relevant to Fidencismo becomes, not Christ’s admonition to the doubting Thomas: “Blessed are they who have not seen,” but more like: “Blessed are they who have seen the most photographs.”
The study of religion is engaging, and studying the “Christ” figure of Fidencismo even more so, for, although bifurcated off Catholocism, Fidencismo is a nascent religion in process. Often, I imagined I was like the apostle Luke as I took the gospel of Nino Fidencio back to the Anglos.
The dissemination of Nino’s gospel (my thesis), earned me respect, for there were those who doubted a middle aged, non-Spanish speaking, WASP woman could pull off such indigenous Mexican research. I didn’t tell anybody that my tireless dedication was because I suffered from Deseo under the spell of one of Fidencismo’s priests. That would be Alberto, the curandero. He didn’t mind a bit translating for me.
Just call me Luke(a) when I blog José Fidencio de Jesús Sintora Constantino (1898-1938), his photographs, his gospel, and the Fiesta rituals that are more eye-popping than Sunday services in a Protestant church.
Katherine Brittain 