Penitentes

Thousands of believers participate in the Jesus Del Gran Poder procession (Quito)Different reasons lead these people to demonstrate their faith in this act of penance. These are some of their testimonies:

Throughout my life religiousness has remained latent.

I was born into a practicing Mormon family. My older brother volunteered in Colombia for two years. During that time we could only communicate with him by phone, twice a year. That was the mechanism with which the Mormon church ensured that all his attention and efforts were focused on God and the mission that he had been entrusted with.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) all men, upon reaching the age of 19, are required to serve their church for two years. When I reached that age, I experienced my first great separation from the Church. I alleged my health problems to not comply with that command, although in reality they were “issues” of faith.

I didn’t feel that ‘call’ from God as my brother did, or as my father had. About a year later, I decided to stop attending Sunday meetings with my family. This decision resulted in great differences with my mother, so I finally made the decision to leave the house and try to rely on my own.

After these events I haven´t set foot on a church again, unless work required me to photograph its parishioners. Perhaps, It’s been a way to try to find in them answers to the beliefs that were imposed on me … to a spirituality that was forced and that, above all, I still find strange, although fascinating in a certain way. After all, faith or the denial of is a fundamental part of human experiences.

With Penitents I release the first series of several installments that will have as a central axis faith and spirituality.