Santa Inocencia

Santa Inocencia, whose preserved remains are displayed inside a vitrine in the magnificent building of the Guadalajara Cathedral in Jalisco, Mexico, is a revered figure in Catholic tradition.

According to legend, Inocencia was a young martyr who, in the 3rd century, faced Roman persecution for professing her Christian faith. After her martyrdom, her body was said to remain incorrupt, without any trace of decomposition.

Devotion to her grew over time. Her remains were eventually moved to the cathedral in Guadalajara after being taken from the cemetery of Santa Ciriaca, in Rome, in the year 1786.

The figure of Inocencia is considered a symbol of holiness and has attracted faithful and curious people over the years, generating a phenomenon of veneration. The faithful in Jalisco have a soft spot for her, and it is pretty common to see locals surround the urn in prayer.

Its unexplained preservation has fueled belief in the miraculous, turning it into an object of worship in the region. (Some note that only a small portion of the young girl’s remains are in the church, and that the figure inside the vitrine is mostly wax.) You can also easily find replicas of the body for sale in the shops that offer religious items near the cathedral, which is one more indication of how loved and respected she is.