On Horseback, Catholics Celebrate Chile’s Feast Of Quasimodo
SANTIAGO, Chile — Some 1,800 horsemen flooded the streets of Colina, a rural municipality on the outskirts of Santiago, for the Feast of Cuasimodo on April 12. They accompanied the priests who traveled in a carriage to bring communion to the elderly and the sick on the Sunday after Easter, a tradition that dates back to the early years of Chile as a republic.
The Feast of Cuasimodo takes its name from the Latin expression quasi modo, which means “in the manner of.” It corresponds to the first words of the opening antiphon of the Mass for that Sunday: “Quasi modo geniti infantes” (As newborn babies), addressed to those baptized at Easter.
The origin of Cuasimodo lies in the obligation for all Catholics to receive communion at least once a year, preferably during Easter. Priests in Chile brought communion to the elderly and the sick who couldn’t participate in the Easter celebrations.
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After independence from the Spain in the first half of the 19th century, a period of political instability arose in the country. The rise in crime created a need to protect the priests who brought communion to those who were unable to receive it on Easter Sunday. The huasos, Chilean cowboys, began to escort them to prevent attacks by thieves who tried to steal the chalices, made of gold or silver.
The first account of the celebration was published by the newspaper El Mercurio de Valparaíso in 1842. Written by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who would later become president of Argentina, it says: “The priest rides out, and the immense crowd of horsemen who accompany him gallop so wildly, raise such a cloud of dust, and make such a racket, that it resembles more a battle or a game of cañas [equestrian game] than a procession of Christians who reverence and adore the sacred hosts.”
This procession became a popular rural feast in central Chile, gaining more and more followers over the years. The largest Cuasimodo celebration in the country takes place in Colina. There, the tradition of accompanying the priests solely on horseback,displaying traditional equestrian gear, is still followed. They decorate their horses for the occasion. Other municipalities have incorporated the custom with the protectors accompanying the priest on bicycles or on foot.
Video by Graciela Ibáñez
“It’s a beautiful mission that we Catholics have on Sunday to visit the sick who cannot attend church to receive communion. I'm the fifth generation of my family to participate in the Cuasimodo procession,” said Víctor Guajardo, 40, president of the Association of Cuasimodistas of Colina.
The cuasimodistas wear an adaptation of the traditional attire. Instead of a hat, they wear a headscarf, and instead of a jacket, they wear a cape, known as esclavina. The cape and headscarf bear symbols such as the chalice, the national coat of arms or the image of a saint, depending on the Cuasimodo organization they belong to. The houses the priests visit are adorned with white and yellow flowers, the colors of the Vatican.
Families with children took to the streets of Colina on Sunday to celebrate the cuasimodistas.
“Every year we hold a blessing of the capes for new members. This year we had 75 new members. Of those, 55 were children,” said Guajardo.
Children participate from the age they can ride a horse, which is around five years old, he added.
The mayor of Colina, Isabel Valenzuela, has participated in the Cuasimodo procession since 2010. On Sunday, she was accompanied by her niece.
“Cuasimodo is a highly anticipated religious feast in Colina. Residents decorate their streets and homes. This tradition is passed down from generation to generation, which is why it’s the largest Cuasimodo celebration in Chile,” she said.
The participants in the Cuasimodo procession spend the entire year preparing for the festivity. They ride horses approximately 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) tall, descendants of the Andalusian horses introduced by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.
“Accompanying the Blessed Sacrament in this great tradition is an honor. It is faith that sustains us,” said Youssef Sedan, 31, who has participated in the Colina Cuasimodo since 2009.
This year, the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Fernando Chomalí, led the celebration, which began at 7 a.m.
“We dedicate this Cuasimodo especially to peace in the world and in Chile. The pope asked us to pray for peace. What better way than to entrust to Him the many people who have died in the war, the many displaced children, young people and elderly and the wounded? Never again to war,” said Monsignor Chomalí as he began the celebration at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Colina.
The procession culminated with a Mass for all cuasimodistas on horseback at the foot of the mountains at 4 p.m.
You can read this story in Spanish here.
Graciela Ibáñez is a journalist with a Master of Arts from Columbia Journalism School, where she graduated in 2008. She works as a professor of journalism at Universidad Gabriela Mistral and at Universidad Viña del Mar in Chile. She covers Chile for foreign media outlets, including TRT World, Americas Quarterly and The Art Newspaper. She worked as a reporter for Dow Jones Newswires and REDD Intelligence in Santiago and for Debtwire in New York City. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Viña del Mar.