COLLECTION NAME:
Soundscapes of the People: A Musical Ethnography of Pueblo, Colorado
Record
Collection Name:
Soundscapes of the People: A Musical Ethnography of Pueblo, Colorado
Title:
Fr. Joseph Vigil Interview October 13, 2023
Title Type:
Devised
Name:
Vigil, Fr. Joseph
Name Role Term Text:
Interviewee
Name:
Okigbo, Austin
Name Role Term Text:
Interviewer
Resource Type:
Moving image
Genre:
Oral histories
Date Created:
2023-10-13
Language Term:
English
Extent:
1 online resource (1 video file) (1 hr., 4 min., 56 sec.)
Physical Description Note:
For access to the recordings on YouTube contact the University of Colorado Boulder American Music Research Center.
Abstract:
Fr. Joseph Vigil is a Catholic priest in Pueblo and a member of the Penitente Brotherhood. In his interview, Vigil talks about historical context, traditions, and current status of the Penitentes in the Southwestern United States. He also discusses the ways in which Catholicism in Southern Colorado has evolved over time.
Note:
00:00:04 Austin Okigbo asks the interviewee (Joseph Vigil) to introduce himself. He discusses his background as a priest and as a member of the Penitente Brotherhood. He shares information about the geography of the Penitentes. Additional topics include: Asturias; Catholic; Diocese of Pueblo; John; La Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno; Licensed Clinical Social Worker; New Mexico; Penitentes; San Luis Valley; Santa Fe; Spain; St. Joseph's Catholic Church; University of New Mexico; family; holy houses; morada; pastor; traditions; St. Anne's Catholic Church; immigration history--Southwestern United States; religions--Catholicism--Southwestern United State. 00:05:39 Vigil states that the Penitentes meet every Wednesday and every Friday. Vigil discusses the Penitente traditions that he has taken part in, including Holy Week and funeral services. Additional topics include: El Encuentro; Hermandad; Holy Week; Mozarabic; New Mexico; Spanish; alabados; alba; candle; chants; funeral; morada; morning; tinieblas; prayers; Penitente liturgy; religious traditions--Holy Week; religious traditions--funerals. 00:08:22 Vigil states, “And then, and back when I was searching, and I was going to school, and I read ‘The Seven Story Mountain’ by Thomas Merton.” Vigil shares details about his journey to becoming a Benedictine priest and Penitente, and he talks about other priests in the Southwest U.S. who are also Penitentes. Additional topics include: Albuquerque; Benedictine; Christian Brothers; New Mexico; Penitente; Pueblo; Santa Fe; Spanish; Trappist; chapter meetings; monk; moradas; priests; college; religious orders--Catholicism. 00:11:00 Vigil talks about the traditions surrounding new members to the Penitente Brotherhood and the values they share. Additional topics include: Hermandad; Hermano Mayor; Maestro de los novicios; Nuestra Señora de los Dolores; Our Lady of Sorrows; Passion of Jesus; Spanish; celibate; charitable; conversion; door; funeral; laymen; married; morada; novicio; oratorio; penance; prayers; ritual; single; trial; vows; young men; Jesus the Nazarene; values--Penitentes; rituals--Penitentes. 00:16:16 Vigil talks about dinner traditions for the penitentes, including their diet. Okigbo and Vigil also discuss the tradition of chiles in the Southwestern United States. Additional topics include: Chile Festival; Mexicanos; Mt. Carmel; New Mexico; Pueblo; Spanish; alabados; beans; diet; fasting; fried egg; health; hierba hedionda; parish; red chile; sage; salmon patties; spinach; tea; torta de huevo; tradition; vegetarian; traditions--Penitentes; foodways--American Southwest. 00:20:46 Vigil describes the first Spanish settlements in what is now the American Southwest, and he discusses how New Mexico and Colorado became states. Additional topics include: Catholic; New Mexico; Spain; state; territory; Santa Fe; colonial history--United States. 00:22:47 Okigbo asks, “Given the Catholic influence and the Catholic tradition here, the question becomes... to what extent you might think the Penitentes have contributed to shaping the culture of the area?” Vigil discusses the ways in which the Penitentes have historically impacted their local politics and traditions. Additional topics include: Avondale; Chama; City Council; Hermano Apóstol; Hermanos; New Mexico; Pueblo; San Luis; State Senator; burial; directors; district; elected officials; morada; politics; provinces; spiritual leaders; rites; organizational structure--Penitentes; politics--Southwestern United States. 00:26:49 Vigil shares specific details about the rites performed during Holy Week. He also discusses issues of privacy in Penitente practices. Additional topics include: Good Friday; Holy Thursday; Holy Week; Trinity; alabados; black veil; chant; cross; crucifix; dwelling; laypeople; morada; prayers; privacy; private; rosary; tenebras; venda; visita; visitations; windows; Stations of the Cross; religious practices--Catholic--Penitente. 00:30:41 Okigbo states “So, you did talk about the Mozarabic influence in the chants.”Vigil and Okigbo discuss the context of alabados in Penitente worship. Vigil demonstrates the alabado "Ayúdanos almas." Additional topics include: "Ayúdanos almas"; "O sangre de mi Jesús y lágrimas de María"; Divine Office; Mozarabic; Psalms; alabados; book; flute; instrument; wake; Arabic; religious practices--Penitentes--chant. 00:34:31 Okigbo asks, “When, approximately, did the penitente originate in Spain?” Vigil and Okigbo discuss the historical context around the formation of the Penitentes and the ways in which historical context shapes practices today. Additional topics include: Colorado; Hermanos; New Mexico; Restoration; Spain; alabados; barefoot; brothers; cathedral; connection; conquest; distraction; faith; international meeting; jewelry; shoes; Sevilla; history--Penitentes. 00:40:05 Vigil shares the number of currently active Penitentes in the American Southwest. Additional topics include: Colorado; Spanish descent; moradas; tradition; New Mexico; Spanish American identity. 00:41:09 Vigil talks about the different geographic areas of immigrants to Pueblo and their connections to Catholicism. Additional topics include: Croatian; Greek; Irish; Italian; Mexicano; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel; Polish; Sicilian; Slovenian; Spain; Spanish; St. Anthony's; St. Mary's; culture; parish festivals; spirituality; steel mills; traditions; Catholic; immigration--Southwestern United States; international Catholicism. 00:43:50 Okigbo asks, “Besides the things you do during the Holy Week and the days when you meet (Wednesdays and Fridays), are there other types of festivities that involve the Penitentes?” Vigil shares details surrounding Penitente processions. Additional topics include: Blessed Mother; Corpus Christi Sunday; Divine Office; Gregorian Chant; June; Our Lady of Sorrows; Santa Fe; alabados; banner; cathedral; chants; estandarte; instruments; novina; procession; response; saint; statue; morada; holy days--Penitentes; rituals--Penitentes. 00:46:35 Vigil discusses how the Catholic churches have grown in Pueblo, especially with people of Spanish descent. He talks about how worship has adapted to meet their needs. Additional topics include: Baptist; Benedictine; Hispanic; Holy Family; Italian; Jesuit; New Mexico; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel; Parkview; Sacred Heart of Jesus; South Creek; Spanish; Spirit Choir; St. Anne's; St. Joseph's; St. Leander's; baptisms; barrack; bilingual; community; diverse; families; mass; music; parish council; statues; weddings; young people; churches--Pueblo, Colorado; worship styles--Catholic mass; music--Catholic mass. 00:54:59 Okigbo asks Vigil to tell them a little bit more about the music of the Penitente. Vigil discusses the ways in which Penitentes have impacted language and music in Catholic communities in Southern Colorado. Additional topics include: Hermandad; Mexican; Spanish; St. Joseph's; brothers; guitar; manito; meditative; relationships; responses; style; text; alabados; musical practices--Penitentes; cultural identities--Southern Colorado. 01:00:59 Okigbo discusses the "Song of Pueblo" concert at Pueblo Memorial Hall in October 2023. Additional topics include: University of Colorado Boulder; concert; tickets; Memorial Hall. End of recording.
Note Type:
Time coded description
Subject Topic:
Religions--Catholicism--Southwestern United States
Subject Topic:
Rituals--Penitentes
Subject Topic:
Foodways--American Southwest
Subject Topic:
Immigration--Southwestern United States
Subject Topic:
Penitentes
Subject Topic:
Catholicism
Subject Topic:
Holy Week
Subject Geographic:
New Mexico (United States, North America) (state)
Subject Geographic:
San Luis Valley (Alamosa, Colorado, United States, North America) (valley)
Identifier:
Joseph_Vigil_Full_Interview_2024-10-13.mp4
Physical Location:
American Music Research Center
Date Captured:
2023
Internet Media Type:
video/mp4
Digital Origin:
born digital
Access Condition:
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).