Amidst drumbeats, devotion, and grape harvest, Saint Jude once again gathered the faithful in Saltillo.

The Matachín Festival 2025 started at the Ojo de Agua Parish and reached the atrium of the Cathedral, with dance groups, parishioners, popular images and a strong symbolic charge.

It was approaching five in the afternoon when the contingent began to form in front of the Parish of Santo Cristo del Ojo de Agua. Drums set the rhythm. Flip-flops with bells rattled in the street. Greetings between neighbors and the statues of the saint in their arms announced the start of the 2025 Matachín Festival in honor of Saint Jude Thaddeus.

Without a stage or spectacle, the groups, dressed in simple or colorful attire, some wearing sombreros, even carrying accordions, began to advance along Félix U. Gómez Street to take Hidalgo Street toward the Historic Center. Joining them were families from nearby neighborhoods, passersby, and neighbors who pulled out chairs on the sidewalk to watch the procession go by, amid silent prayers and holding images of the saint high in the air.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: The relics of Saint Jude Thaddeus arrive at the Saltillo Cathedral: faith, hope, and spiritual renewal

María Luisa Díaz, one of the participants, commented that her statue had already been blessed by the priest: “Saint Jude is very miraculous. I always pray to him for my children. I've been devoted to him all my life.” Another woman, holding four statues in her arms, said: “ We are very devoted. To people who are going through difficult times, I would tell them to entrust themselves to Saint Jude. He does listen.”

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: Warning of fraud involving false collections for the San Judas Tadeo chapel in Ramos Arizpe

Before beginning the procession, Father Ignacio Flores gave a brief message. He spoke of dancers who wear mirrors in their headdresses as a symbol of their desire to see God reflected in their lives. “ I hope that this reflection of religiosity is real,” he said.

During the march, Municipal Traffic and Police officers secured the roads. The area around Félix U. Gómez, Escénica, and Hidalgo streets was temporarily closed. Although no official figure has been released, it is estimated that more than 2,000 people participated, including dancers, parishioners, neighbors, and attendees .

In the Cathedral atrium, the groups entered one by one, while the Mass continued inside. As part of the program, the Parish of Santiago offered Masses every hour starting at 5:00 PM, in order to accommodate the large number of faithful who arrived with holy cards, candles, statues, and petitions. The last scheduled Mass was at 8:00 PM, and at press time, people were still entering the church.

The atmosphere outside was like a fair: snacks, cotton candy, churros, caramel apples, and the "old man" of the dance frolicking with the crowd. For Rodolfo Moreno of the Municipal Institute of Culture, this was the third edition of the festival, and it has grown each year. " It doesn't happen in one or two months. It's a year-round endeavor. Bringing our children here teaches them not to lose this."

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: Saltillo: Relic of Saint Jude Thaddeus arrives at the Church of Ojo de Agua

Coahuila's Secretary of Culture, Esther Quintana, emphasized that the importance of this tradition is not only religious, but also cultural and identity-based : "This is who we are. There were also indigenous peoples here before the colonial era. These types of celebrations show how two worldviews blended: Mesoamerican spirituality and Spanish monotheistic faith. It's a clear example of the syncretism that shaped Mexico."

He also recalled that the north has a history and a living culture: “ The south is always mentioned when mentioning indigenous or traditional things. But here, there were also roots, there was also memory. The Coahuiltecas were here. And this—the festival, the dance, the faith—is part of that.”

The event, which began in the evening and continued past 6:30, left a shared message among drums, promises, and the community: Saint Jude continues to walk with his people. And Saltillo, once again, came out to meet him.