Blessing the chapel.

The Saint Cecilia Chapel is inaugurated.

San Martin, Argentina

May 22nd, 2026

Dear Reader,

Back at San Martín, we threw ourselves into preparations for the blessing of my dad’s chapel, which we decided to dedicate to Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.

A locro - a thick stew made with beans, corn, and the insides of a cow - was being prepared by our gardener and houseman, Mario, to share with the villagers afterwards.

The day was cold and windy, and the sky was grey and covered in a shroud of thick clouds. In the morning, a fire was lit to cook the stew. Mario put all the ingredients into two huge silver cauldrons which he then stirred with a large wooden spoon. Ines’s daughter helped by chopping vegetables, and keeping the fire going.

Tables were set up on the gallery facing the chapel with tablecloths lent to us by Ines. Each family had been instructed to bring their own cutlery and bowls.

Plastic chairs and benches were placed in front of the chapel for the mass. A table was set in front of the door of the chapel with a tablecloth I’d brought back from Paraguay on top for the priest to use as an altar.

My mother brought her collection of antique saints to place on the altar of the chapel, along with a crucifix. Ines and her daughter arranged flowers in vases, and affixed balloons to the outside of the chapel.

The altar inside the chapel.

I’d had a font for holy water made and hand painted by an artist in Salta. Mario secured it to the wall of the chapel, and I filled it with holy water we’d brought back from Lourdes in France.

The font, hand painted with the image of Saint Cecilia.

The padre arrived on time and the guests followed soon thereafter. All gathered in front of the chapel. Adrien said a few words of welcome, and explained who Saint Cecilia was.

She was a noblewoman who lived during the 3nd century; she believed in God and took a vow of chastity. Despite this, her parents forced her to marry. During her wedding she sang in her heart to God, and when she told her husband of her vow he respected her and converted to Christianity.

Up on the hill behind the house where the chapel is, the wind whipped our faces and chilled our bones.

The padre says mass in front of the Saint Cecilia Chapel, taken by Adrien.

Once the ceremonies were over we said prayers to the patron saint of the village, Saint Rita, whom we’d be celebrating on Saturday.

Then we traipsed down to the gallery. The stew pots were brought over from the fire and the locro served out. Bread was passed around, and Coca Cola poured.

The villagers went home after the meal, and we relaxed by the fire with a glass of wine.

Eating locro after the ceremonies.

More to come.

Abrazos,

Mariah