Janessa Torrellas
Writing for the Social Sciences English
Joseph Furlong
Essay #1: Personal Artifact
17 February 2025
More meaning behind the statue
Some may see something that has absolutely no value to them, but can hold great significance and have a greater meaning to others that we are not aware of. A personal artifact can be many things because people connect differently with their identity, cultural background, and self apart from one another. These can be items, traditions, behaviors, clothing, etc. I come from a religious family that is Catholic and would attend church every Sunday. When I was younger I was put in Wednesday classes after school which is a bible study learning and reading about God in a classroom. I remember not always wanting to go because I would rather be outside playing with my friends, but it was something that my mother encouraged me to do that she had done when she was younger too. So it was a thing that my family was passing down to one another, and I wanted to keep the tradition going. I didn’t want to let my mother down so I would always go. My mother would tell me things like “Going to church will help you have faith and have a blessed life”. Before even going into these classes at home I was already taught about the saint and her protection by my family and I always thought highly of it. I believed that it was a beautiful thing, and I was around the church a lot and coming home I would see symbols of the church apart in my house and this soon made me connect with them. As far as I could remember there were always saint statues in my house, specifically the Guadlupe statue. The Guadlupe is a title for the Virgin Mary. Having her around the house is a way of keeping the house safe and having protection for my family who leaves and comes back home. The saint statue can come in many different sizes but all look similar. It is a saint of a motherly looking woman who wears this blue/green gown over her with a red dress, a baby Jesus under her, and yellow clouded spikes coming around her. Although I am not as religious as I used to be when I was younger, and more connected to the church I still have a great significance with the Guadalupe statue and it still brings comfort and a source of guidance into my life. One of the connections that I have with her is having her as my confirmation middle name. A confirmation middle name is a name that you choose which is a saint’s name and you are confirmed with it when you complete your confirmation. This is a catholic tradition that a lot of other cultures are not familiar with. There are things you need to complete first before getting to do your confirmation which starts with baptism most kids are baptized when they’re babies. Next is communion which takes 2 classes to complete each class is equivalent to one school year long . Finally is your confirmation which is an additional 1 year. Overall this process takes 3 years. I felt connected to choosing Guadlupe because growing up I would watch my mother pray in front of the statue at home, or at church and it made me want to obtain the same faith that my mother had and the same connection she had with the saint. I look at Guadeloupe as a motherly figure and comfort. The protection that one’s own mother gives them is the same protection that I feel with the Guadalupe. The Guadlupe also represents her symbolic heritage, strength, and unity within the latino community. Being a latina and having the Guadalupe to represent her heritage is a powerful thing. Having the statues in my house became a normal thing for me seeing them everyday soon became like a tradition to have them around. There are a lot of ways that people can carry this protection around with them. For me my statue is a small one that my mother gifted to me and is about the size of a phone that I keep on a shelf in my room. At times I would go to the shelf and pray alongside it. During my confirmation it was blessed by the priest. In my family we all have at least one piece of the saint with us whether it’s a statue, a necklace, bracelet, or photo. People that aren’t Catholic may not have the same connection with this motherly statue, but can interpret it in a way that symbolizes another deeper connection that they have with their own beliefs. People take what they know and their religious beliefs and can connect it to how they can learn about other cultures. I know that I am always open minded and curious to learn about new cultures. I think that there is admiration and respect that one has when seeing an artifact even though the beliefs aren’t perhaps the exact same as theirs. This has had an influence on my identity because it made me have a more positive outlook on things and not be a pessimist when things in my life get difficult due to Guadalupe strength and faith that she carries with her which has impacted me positively. Being a college student in NYC comes with privilege and opportunity because not everyone has the chance to attend college, but it can also come with growth that can be challenging at times. Having the Guadalupe as something to turn to can be a comforting feeling. These statues will continue to be a part of my life and I would like to continue the tradition that they carry with them. Many of these cultures have personal connections with their own pieces of artifacts which makes each of them unique.
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