“Whether out of fear or self-protection, we rarely present our true face to the world. Mexicans are secretive by nature. Our formality is a shield against scrutiny. We use masks all the time,” says Father Sergio Gutierrez. Perhaps this explains the wildly popular sport of Lucha Libre [free-style fight].

Throughout human history, wherever two or more have gathered, wrestling has followed. Seventy years ago, professional wrestlers in Mexico began wearing masks, subsuming their own personalities to a character inspired by their new face. Records do not convey whether the acrobatic style associated with Lucha Libre immediately followed, though one can well imagine the freedom engendered by hidden identity. Soon, luchadors were flying through the air and appearing in innumerable films.

Hulk Hogan and the Rock can only dream of a film career approaching the greatest of all screen luchadors. El Santo (1918-1984) first starred in El Emascarado de Plata (The Silver Masked Man) in 1952. Within a decade, he was an action star ala Batman or James Bond, with his Bentley and his amor de dia. El Santo chose to remain enmasked throughout his public career, only revealing his identity (Rudolfo Huerta) after retiring. Thousands followed his funeral procession through Mexico City to the Mausoleo del Angel where he was buried in his mask.

Father Sergio Gutierrez began his ministry caring for children on the streets of Veracruz. After seeing the wrestling films Fray Tormenta and Fray Tormenta in the Ring, Gutierrez began raising funds for his orphanage by wrestling as Fray Tormenta [Brother Storm]. In recent years, he has become a mentor to a younger group of devout wrestlers, such as Sagrado and Mistico. And he inspired a new Hollywood movie starring Jack Black.

June, 2006