Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

Located in central downtown Puerto Vallarta, the Church of Guadalupe was finished in 1952. It's original crown was constructed in 1963 and is said to be a replica of Emperor Maximilian's (1860's) mistress's crown. The crown and spire were severely damaged by a 7.5 Richter scale earthquake centered some 400 miles away in Mexico City. Reconstructed it is reminiscent of a Baroque Austrian Temples. Having several architectural styles, the main building is Neoclassical while the lateral towers are Renaissance. The interior is white plaster and marble with gold accents and stained glass windows. Although the church itself is beautiful what strikes me more deeply is the devotion and respect that the people of Puerto Vallarta have for their church. This can be seen at any church service and is well worth the experience. The Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Dec. 1-12) is an important celebration for devotes who come to pay their respects. Juan Diego's vision of the Virgin of Guadalupe inspired the creation of the church and you will be inspired by the people of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

This review is for Lenten fish fry - or in this case enchiladas. You can get a plate of 1 enchilada for $7 or 3 enchiladas for $9. Plus they have side items like a tostada for $2. Plates come with rice and beans. The enchiladas are cheese and onion and are quite good, but not amazing. They do have great deserts. I had the bread pudding which was light on bread, heavy on raisins and nuts with a delicious caramel flavor. As a church fundraiser with amazing atmosphere this is a wonderful way to spend a Friday.

I'm always a fan of enchiladas - and I found my way to this based on more than a few friendly nudges by complete strangers to get here and try the Lenten meal.I'll be honest, I haven't eaten here - Yet. I'll update this as soon as I do... What I wanted to point out is the hours (I had to dig around on the internet since it appears that the church doesn't have a web site or publicly posted calendar)... As far as I can tell, Enchiladas are served on Fridays, only during Lent, from 11:30am until 6:30pm. If I'm wrong, then sorry. I'll update as soon as I get a definite answer.

This church was off the hook until Fr. Kevin Kenny was transferred to Faribault. It seems as though the church is imploding. So, while I will continue to volunteer, I will be finding somewhere else to worship. Sad because I LOVED that church.