perdidobay
<font color=green>Will work for travel ;-)<br><fon
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2001
- Messages
- 6,216
I'n not Catholic....I don't attend church, as I don't like organized religion.
I do however like to think there are angels and saints helping us.
St Francis of Assisi was my favorite growing up, since I loved animals and nature too.
I like Santo Nino de Atocha
I have been to the El Santuario de Chimayo and seen the shrine to him there.
..........................................
Our first report of this particular Child Jesus, miraculously coming to the attention of the world, was at a time when Catholics were being crushed under Moorish suppression and occupation in Spain. The Moors, as they were called at that time, because of their dark skin (moreno, Spanish for dark) conquered Granada in 711, and proceeded to work their way north until all of Spain was under the Moorish heel. As the Spaniards turned more and more to their Faith, for strength and hope, the Moors, in retribution, waged a campaign to crush Christianity wherever they could.
In the 13th Century, the plight of the Catholics was one of endless misery, hopelessness and helplessness. But the Moors could not break their spirit. The more they were tortured and killed for their Faith, the more the Spaniards turned to their Lord, their Mother Mary, the Angels and the Saints. And in response to their endless fidelity, their Father in Heaven showered down Signal Grace, the Grace He has bestowed upon the Martyrs, throughout the centuries, to bear all forms of cruelty, torture, and ultimate death for their Faith. He did not leave the Spaniards orphans, abandoned. The Lord gave them the courage and strength to withstand inhumane living conditions in prison; He gave them endless fortitude to remain hopeful and of good spirit amidst the squalor and stench that emanated from their cell and that of their fellow Catholic prisoners. Catholics lost everything but their strong faith in Jesus and His promise to be with them till the end of the world.
History finds us in a village near Madrid. The town of Atocha was overrun by Moors. The Moorish jailers were particularly cruel to their prisoners. The villagers of Atocha bore witness to the deplorable living conditions in the prisons, as their men - their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers - were imprisoned in the dungeons. As one cruelty after the other failed to break the spirit of the villagers, the Moorish lord had another plan. They would not succumb. New restrictions were imposed on the prisoners and their loved ones: Only members of families of those in jail were allowed to bring food or provisions of any kind to their intimate families inside. Without the meager food they were allowed to bring in, the prisoners would have starved to death, as the Moors did not feed their prisoners. But sadly even that was to come to an end. The Moorish lord, in charge, issued another order: Only children under twelve years of age were allowed to visit those prisoners, who were close members of their families, and bring them food. That was all well and good for those prisoners who had children under twelve; they survived; but what of the other prisoners?
The women of Atocha turn to Their Heavenly Mother
The women of Atocha appealed to their Mother. They went down on their knees in front of the statue of Our Lady of Atocha. They pleaded with Our Lady and the Divine Son She held in Her arms to help their loved ones in prison, who had no one to bring them food and water. It was the eleventh hour. It did not look as if help were on the way. Their men were on the verge of starvation! Then a very strange and truly miraculous thing happened. Word began to leak out from the prison that even the inmates, without children to bring them food, were being fed, life returning to their faces, their pallor changing from ashen gray to a rosy healthiness!
The children, who were allowed to bring food to their families in jail, reported they saw a young Child, dressed in pilgrims clothing, come to the prisons at night. This little Boy, they said, somewhat under twelve years of age, brought food and water to those who didnt have children under twelve to bring them food. He talked to the prisoners, consoled them, prayed with them and gave them hope. By the time He left, they had been filled physically and spiritually. They all knew, without asking, that He was the Child Jesus. After all, He only came at night. How had He managed to slip by the Moorish jailers sleeping, without being detected! And when perchance, a jailer managed to spot Him, how was it that all He had to do was simply smile and be about His appointed tasks?
When the mothers and wives of the prisoners heard of this miracle they went down on their knees and offered thanksgiving to the Blessed Mother - Our Lady of Atocha - for sending Her Beloved Son to their loved ones in prison. After all, it had to be Him, for when they looked at the slippers on Her Sons tiny Feet in the Chapel, were they not worn and dusty! And then, when they were replaced with new slippers, did they not become soiled and tattered, once again?
The Moorish jailers finally caught wind of what was happening, and put on additional prison guards at night to try and catch the Child, who was bringing food to the Catholic prisoners. But they could never find Him. They would stealthily comb the corridors. They would hear prisoners talking quietly, lovingly to someone. But when they broke into the cells, there was never anyone there but the prisoner, who would smile at his captors, then turn over on his straw mat, and return to a peaceful sleep.
The Little Pilgrim appears to travelers in danger
If it was bad for the Catholics locked up in the jails, it was no picnic for those on the outside. Their lives were constantly in jeopardy. Villagers had to be afraid to leave their homes. There were stories of townspeople, who, out of dire necessity, had to go to visit relatives in far distant villages or cities. On their way, they could count on being accosted on the roads, beaten and often killed. Although no one could prove that this happened at the hands of their Moorish captors, all visible evidence pointed to them. Because the travelers were Catholics, they were not welcome in the local inns, as the innkeepers feared the wrath of the Moors. Consequently, many had no recourse, but to sleep in the forests or on the side of the road.
They too, reported that a little Boy, dressed as a Pilgrim, would come to them with food and water, and whatever else they needed. Not only that, but the Little Pilgrim would suddenly appear, when all seemed lost, and help them out of dangerous situations. If to avert wayside perpetrators, they should get lost, a Pilgrim around twelve years of age appeared. He would not only guide them, but often accompanied them on their journey. When He was confident they could continue without Him, He would warn them which roads were safe and which were not safe to travel, and would end up laying out a plan how they could get to their destination safely. Their description of Him was always the same. He had on a pilgrims garb, with a brimmed hat sporting a plume and a cape or a robe about His Shoulders. The Child carried in His left Hand a pilgrims staff, with a gourd of water attached to it. In later years, an ornate shell pattern (or St. James Shell), was pictured on the cape of His outfit, a symbol of the pilgrims to the Shrine of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
Because this miraculous event began in Atocha, the Child received the title: the Holy Infant of Our Lady of Atocha. Stories of miracles spreading, The Shrine of Our Lady of Atocha began being a well-visited Shrine in Spain, as early as the 13th Century. It is recorded that Our Lady of Atocha was even venerated by the Spanish King Alphonse, at that time. In the Shrine, there are pictures of the Santo Niño being held in the arms of His Mother - Our Lady of Atocha. During the time of the miracles in the 13th Century in Spain, the Santo Niño de Atocha was connected to the statue of Our Lady of Atocha.
Devotion to Santo Niño continues
Devotion to Santo Niño continued, even after Spain was liberated from the Moors in 1492. The Spaniards continued to turn to Santo Niño de Atocha for help in releasing prisoners. It mattered not whether they were guilty or innocent, justly or unjustly incarcerated. For this reason, He earned the title Patron Saint of prisoners. As prayers after prayers were answered, no longer limiting the Holy Infant to aiding prisoners, the faithful expanded their petitions. They turned to the Santo Niño if there was an accident in a mining shaft and miners were trapped in the tunnel of the mine. As the Holy Child had gone into the dungeons and helped those trapped there, why not their loved ones now in the mine?
With calm assurance that Santo Niño would answer their pleadings, men and women continued to turn to the Infant, presenting their petitions, supplicating Him to intercede on their behalf with His Heavenly Father and He answered them. As the need continued, and the prayers rang up to the Santo Niño, the little shoes continued to become soiled and worn, as the Beloved Child of God set out to answer the pleas of the people of Spain.
Santo Niño de Atocha goes to Mexico
Wherever we go, we can bring the Food of Life-Our Lord Jesus, or the harbinger of evil - His enemy Lucifer. A new world and with it a new opportunity emerged, to bring Jesus to a people who knew Him not. The Conquistadors and the Franciscans set out for the New World, and with them tools to evangelize the natives of this new land. Statues of Jesus and Mother Mary, the Saints and the Angels accompanied them. The tradition of Santo Niño de Atocha would not stay confined to Spain, but joined to the expedition to the New World across the sea, initially to Mexico.
After Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City in 1531, great conversions came about, 8,000,000 in seven years, and with them a need for missionaries to share the Good News. In 1554, during this great explosion of the Holy Spirit, the statue of Our Lady with the Santo Niño was brought by Franciscan Missionaries from Atocha, Spain, to the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, to the little village of Fresnillo. Immediately, miracles abounded in this land. Everyone spoke of the compassionate little Person, so young, so innocent and beautiful, Who appeared to those needing His help. As He had done in Spain, so He did now. He traveled among the lost, and sometimes forgotten, usually at night. After all, had He not chosen to do that during the Moorish occupation in Spain, go among the prisoners and those stranded and in need of help, in the evening?
After many miracles had occurred in Fresnillo, the statue of Santo Niño separated from His Mother. No one knows, how, or why, for sure. We believe it was miraculous. When you visit the Shrine, parishioners like to point to where the Santo Niño formerly sat in His Mothers arms. They will probably take you by the hand and bring you to the Holy Childs own Chapel, where He is now venerated at the Shrine. In addition, they will not fail to show you the Chapel of Our Lady of Atocha, located at the same Shrine, the Chapel called Santuario de Plateros.
The statue of the Santo Niño was seated in His Mothers arms. So when the statue of Santo Niño separated from that of His Mother, Santo Niño was already in a sitting position. The people in the Church placed Him on a chair, more like a throne, where He sits to this day. In His left hand, you will see the staff with a jug attached to it. In His right hand you will find the basket, which is always empty when one sees it, because He has been out all night giving the food and water away. However, it has been attested to for centuries on end that when the Santo Niño is out on the road, helping prisoners or travelers, the basket is always full of food and the gourd is always filled with water. Because He goes out at night , ministering to those in need, He has been referred to as the "Night Walking Infant of Atocha." They tell us each morning, the sisters at the Shrine dust off His shoes, only to find them, the next morning, soiled from His many travels trough the night.
The Shrine is typical of any holy tribute given to Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary. Memorabilia and vestiges of serious illnesses and helpless deformities line the walls of the little Chapel with wheelchairs, crutches, and the traditional exvotos or retablos giving testimony to the faith of the people, and the Heavenly rewarded response to that faith. There are paintings or retablos, which, from an artistic viewpoint they appear almost primitive, tell eloquently the stories of prayers offered and answered. It is evident from these and the many testimonies passed down that many miracles have taken place through the intercession of the Santo Niño.
As we said before, the devotion to the Santo Niño spread all over the world, mostly in Spanish-speaking countries. We know that as Spain sent explorers to the far corners of the world, with them came statues of the Saints, the Blessed Mother and the Santo Niño.
And with that we come to a very strong devotion to the Santo Niño in New Mexico. In the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, there is a Sanctuary called El Santuario de Chimayo. Now this was a very holy place before El Santo Niño arrived. It has been known as the Lourdes of America. Actually, this Shrine was initially made famous by a Miracle of the Cross.
The Miracle of the Cross of Chimayo
Our story takes us back to the early 1800's. News of cures came to the attention of the media encouraging well-known periodicals to write about the Shrine. There is written testimony, in the archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, documenting a letter written by a priest to his Bishop in 1813, stating that there were hosts of pilgrims coming from far and near seeking cures for their illnesses and afflictions. And as the news of ever-growing cures spread, more and more keep coming. Today, as many as 300,000 pilgrims visit the Shrine each year, paying homage to their Savior and pleading for peace in their families and in the world.
Although there is no written testimony of the following miracle, it has been passed down from one generation to the next, by the faithful of El Potrero attesting to its authenticity. The miracle concerns the miraculous crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas, which was discovered around the year 1810.
One tradition tells us that this miracle occurred during Holy Week on the evening of Good Friday. One of the Penitents of the Hermandad de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, Don Bernardo Abeyta, was performing in the Societys required penances for Holy Week in the hills of El Potrero, when he spotted a light streaming from the bank of one of the hills near the Santa Cruz River. He went to investigate, and noticed that the light was rising from beneath the earths surface. He excitedly began digging with his hands, when suddenly he discovered a Crucifix! Not wanting to disturb the Crucifix, until he could bring it to the attention of the right authorities, he left the Crucifix where he found it. Then he set out to share news of his priceless treasure with his neighbors and other villagers, entreating them to come and see it.
A contingency of men set out immediately to apprise the parish priest of Santa Cruz, Father Sebastian Alvarez. No sooner had he heard of the happenings, then Father and the men departed in haste for Chimayo. Upon approaching the Crucifix, Father went down on his knees and after solemnly venerating it, lifted it and carried it in procession to his parish church in Santa Cruz. He reverently placed it in an alcove on the main Altar. Then he closed the church for the evening. When he went to open the church the next day, you bet there was a huge crowd waiting to enter and venerate the Crucifix. But when they approached the Altar, the alcove where Father had placed the Crucifix was empty! As the church had been locked, the only answer was it must have returned to Chimayo.
Sure enough, when they arrived in Chimayo, there was the Crucifix, right where they had found it. Father summoned the people of the parish and a second procession set out for Chimayo. Father reverently carried the Crucifix back to his parish church in Santa Cruz, and returned it to its alcove on the main Altar. Once again he locked the church, only to find, the next morning, the Crucifix was gone.
He set out for Chimayo a third time, retrieved the Crucifix, returned it to the church in Santa Cruz, locked the church, only to find the following morning the Crucifix had disappeared and had returned to Chimayo. Nothing was left to do, but build a small chapel, as He was called, El Señor de Esquipulas.
Santo Niño de Atocha in New Mexico
The town of Chimayo became famous, in addition to the miraculous Crucifix, as the town blessed by "holy dirt"-dirt which, accompanied by much prayer and the Will of God, is known to have brought about miraculous cures. During Holy Week, pilgrims come by the thousands upon thousands from the many parts of the world, especially from New Mexico, where they walk up to 1,000 miles to get to the Shrine. You can see the roadside filled with pilgrims, many carrying heavy crosses, processing toward Chimayo.
In addition to the miraculous Crucifix, El Santuario de Chimayo is also and most especially famous for the Santo Niño de Atocha Who dwells there. It is a popular belief by the natives that the Santo Niño was found in that area where the holy dirt is found. As the story has been passed down, a farmer and his daughter were plowing his fields, when suddenly the girl heard what she thought were church bells tolling from beneath the earth. She implored her father to dig and retrieve them. He dug, and not only found the bells, but a wooden statue of Santo Niño de Atocha.
Since that time, one visiting Chimayo can count on the locals telling of the Santo Niño who goes about performing miraculous cures throughout the region. It is common belief that He wears out His slippers, setting out each evening among the people, bringing about miracles. The faithful bring their tiny loved ones baby shoes and place them on the Altar, for the Santo Niño, to replace those worn out by His nightly visits throughout the region, seeking and helping those in dire need. He has been affectionately dubbed Santo Niño Perdido, Holy Infant Lost, by many of the parishioners because He is not present in the church at night.
I do however like to think there are angels and saints helping us.
St Francis of Assisi was my favorite growing up, since I loved animals and nature too.
I like Santo Nino de Atocha
I have been to the El Santuario de Chimayo and seen the shrine to him there.
..........................................
Our first report of this particular Child Jesus, miraculously coming to the attention of the world, was at a time when Catholics were being crushed under Moorish suppression and occupation in Spain. The Moors, as they were called at that time, because of their dark skin (moreno, Spanish for dark) conquered Granada in 711, and proceeded to work their way north until all of Spain was under the Moorish heel. As the Spaniards turned more and more to their Faith, for strength and hope, the Moors, in retribution, waged a campaign to crush Christianity wherever they could.
In the 13th Century, the plight of the Catholics was one of endless misery, hopelessness and helplessness. But the Moors could not break their spirit. The more they were tortured and killed for their Faith, the more the Spaniards turned to their Lord, their Mother Mary, the Angels and the Saints. And in response to their endless fidelity, their Father in Heaven showered down Signal Grace, the Grace He has bestowed upon the Martyrs, throughout the centuries, to bear all forms of cruelty, torture, and ultimate death for their Faith. He did not leave the Spaniards orphans, abandoned. The Lord gave them the courage and strength to withstand inhumane living conditions in prison; He gave them endless fortitude to remain hopeful and of good spirit amidst the squalor and stench that emanated from their cell and that of their fellow Catholic prisoners. Catholics lost everything but their strong faith in Jesus and His promise to be with them till the end of the world.
History finds us in a village near Madrid. The town of Atocha was overrun by Moors. The Moorish jailers were particularly cruel to their prisoners. The villagers of Atocha bore witness to the deplorable living conditions in the prisons, as their men - their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers - were imprisoned in the dungeons. As one cruelty after the other failed to break the spirit of the villagers, the Moorish lord had another plan. They would not succumb. New restrictions were imposed on the prisoners and their loved ones: Only members of families of those in jail were allowed to bring food or provisions of any kind to their intimate families inside. Without the meager food they were allowed to bring in, the prisoners would have starved to death, as the Moors did not feed their prisoners. But sadly even that was to come to an end. The Moorish lord, in charge, issued another order: Only children under twelve years of age were allowed to visit those prisoners, who were close members of their families, and bring them food. That was all well and good for those prisoners who had children under twelve; they survived; but what of the other prisoners?
The women of Atocha turn to Their Heavenly Mother
The women of Atocha appealed to their Mother. They went down on their knees in front of the statue of Our Lady of Atocha. They pleaded with Our Lady and the Divine Son She held in Her arms to help their loved ones in prison, who had no one to bring them food and water. It was the eleventh hour. It did not look as if help were on the way. Their men were on the verge of starvation! Then a very strange and truly miraculous thing happened. Word began to leak out from the prison that even the inmates, without children to bring them food, were being fed, life returning to their faces, their pallor changing from ashen gray to a rosy healthiness!
The children, who were allowed to bring food to their families in jail, reported they saw a young Child, dressed in pilgrims clothing, come to the prisons at night. This little Boy, they said, somewhat under twelve years of age, brought food and water to those who didnt have children under twelve to bring them food. He talked to the prisoners, consoled them, prayed with them and gave them hope. By the time He left, they had been filled physically and spiritually. They all knew, without asking, that He was the Child Jesus. After all, He only came at night. How had He managed to slip by the Moorish jailers sleeping, without being detected! And when perchance, a jailer managed to spot Him, how was it that all He had to do was simply smile and be about His appointed tasks?
When the mothers and wives of the prisoners heard of this miracle they went down on their knees and offered thanksgiving to the Blessed Mother - Our Lady of Atocha - for sending Her Beloved Son to their loved ones in prison. After all, it had to be Him, for when they looked at the slippers on Her Sons tiny Feet in the Chapel, were they not worn and dusty! And then, when they were replaced with new slippers, did they not become soiled and tattered, once again?
The Moorish jailers finally caught wind of what was happening, and put on additional prison guards at night to try and catch the Child, who was bringing food to the Catholic prisoners. But they could never find Him. They would stealthily comb the corridors. They would hear prisoners talking quietly, lovingly to someone. But when they broke into the cells, there was never anyone there but the prisoner, who would smile at his captors, then turn over on his straw mat, and return to a peaceful sleep.
The Little Pilgrim appears to travelers in danger
If it was bad for the Catholics locked up in the jails, it was no picnic for those on the outside. Their lives were constantly in jeopardy. Villagers had to be afraid to leave their homes. There were stories of townspeople, who, out of dire necessity, had to go to visit relatives in far distant villages or cities. On their way, they could count on being accosted on the roads, beaten and often killed. Although no one could prove that this happened at the hands of their Moorish captors, all visible evidence pointed to them. Because the travelers were Catholics, they were not welcome in the local inns, as the innkeepers feared the wrath of the Moors. Consequently, many had no recourse, but to sleep in the forests or on the side of the road.
They too, reported that a little Boy, dressed as a Pilgrim, would come to them with food and water, and whatever else they needed. Not only that, but the Little Pilgrim would suddenly appear, when all seemed lost, and help them out of dangerous situations. If to avert wayside perpetrators, they should get lost, a Pilgrim around twelve years of age appeared. He would not only guide them, but often accompanied them on their journey. When He was confident they could continue without Him, He would warn them which roads were safe and which were not safe to travel, and would end up laying out a plan how they could get to their destination safely. Their description of Him was always the same. He had on a pilgrims garb, with a brimmed hat sporting a plume and a cape or a robe about His Shoulders. The Child carried in His left Hand a pilgrims staff, with a gourd of water attached to it. In later years, an ornate shell pattern (or St. James Shell), was pictured on the cape of His outfit, a symbol of the pilgrims to the Shrine of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
Because this miraculous event began in Atocha, the Child received the title: the Holy Infant of Our Lady of Atocha. Stories of miracles spreading, The Shrine of Our Lady of Atocha began being a well-visited Shrine in Spain, as early as the 13th Century. It is recorded that Our Lady of Atocha was even venerated by the Spanish King Alphonse, at that time. In the Shrine, there are pictures of the Santo Niño being held in the arms of His Mother - Our Lady of Atocha. During the time of the miracles in the 13th Century in Spain, the Santo Niño de Atocha was connected to the statue of Our Lady of Atocha.
Devotion to Santo Niño continues
Devotion to Santo Niño continued, even after Spain was liberated from the Moors in 1492. The Spaniards continued to turn to Santo Niño de Atocha for help in releasing prisoners. It mattered not whether they were guilty or innocent, justly or unjustly incarcerated. For this reason, He earned the title Patron Saint of prisoners. As prayers after prayers were answered, no longer limiting the Holy Infant to aiding prisoners, the faithful expanded their petitions. They turned to the Santo Niño if there was an accident in a mining shaft and miners were trapped in the tunnel of the mine. As the Holy Child had gone into the dungeons and helped those trapped there, why not their loved ones now in the mine?
With calm assurance that Santo Niño would answer their pleadings, men and women continued to turn to the Infant, presenting their petitions, supplicating Him to intercede on their behalf with His Heavenly Father and He answered them. As the need continued, and the prayers rang up to the Santo Niño, the little shoes continued to become soiled and worn, as the Beloved Child of God set out to answer the pleas of the people of Spain.
Santo Niño de Atocha goes to Mexico
Wherever we go, we can bring the Food of Life-Our Lord Jesus, or the harbinger of evil - His enemy Lucifer. A new world and with it a new opportunity emerged, to bring Jesus to a people who knew Him not. The Conquistadors and the Franciscans set out for the New World, and with them tools to evangelize the natives of this new land. Statues of Jesus and Mother Mary, the Saints and the Angels accompanied them. The tradition of Santo Niño de Atocha would not stay confined to Spain, but joined to the expedition to the New World across the sea, initially to Mexico.
After Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City in 1531, great conversions came about, 8,000,000 in seven years, and with them a need for missionaries to share the Good News. In 1554, during this great explosion of the Holy Spirit, the statue of Our Lady with the Santo Niño was brought by Franciscan Missionaries from Atocha, Spain, to the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, to the little village of Fresnillo. Immediately, miracles abounded in this land. Everyone spoke of the compassionate little Person, so young, so innocent and beautiful, Who appeared to those needing His help. As He had done in Spain, so He did now. He traveled among the lost, and sometimes forgotten, usually at night. After all, had He not chosen to do that during the Moorish occupation in Spain, go among the prisoners and those stranded and in need of help, in the evening?
After many miracles had occurred in Fresnillo, the statue of Santo Niño separated from His Mother. No one knows, how, or why, for sure. We believe it was miraculous. When you visit the Shrine, parishioners like to point to where the Santo Niño formerly sat in His Mothers arms. They will probably take you by the hand and bring you to the Holy Childs own Chapel, where He is now venerated at the Shrine. In addition, they will not fail to show you the Chapel of Our Lady of Atocha, located at the same Shrine, the Chapel called Santuario de Plateros.
The statue of the Santo Niño was seated in His Mothers arms. So when the statue of Santo Niño separated from that of His Mother, Santo Niño was already in a sitting position. The people in the Church placed Him on a chair, more like a throne, where He sits to this day. In His left hand, you will see the staff with a jug attached to it. In His right hand you will find the basket, which is always empty when one sees it, because He has been out all night giving the food and water away. However, it has been attested to for centuries on end that when the Santo Niño is out on the road, helping prisoners or travelers, the basket is always full of food and the gourd is always filled with water. Because He goes out at night , ministering to those in need, He has been referred to as the "Night Walking Infant of Atocha." They tell us each morning, the sisters at the Shrine dust off His shoes, only to find them, the next morning, soiled from His many travels trough the night.
The Shrine is typical of any holy tribute given to Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary. Memorabilia and vestiges of serious illnesses and helpless deformities line the walls of the little Chapel with wheelchairs, crutches, and the traditional exvotos or retablos giving testimony to the faith of the people, and the Heavenly rewarded response to that faith. There are paintings or retablos, which, from an artistic viewpoint they appear almost primitive, tell eloquently the stories of prayers offered and answered. It is evident from these and the many testimonies passed down that many miracles have taken place through the intercession of the Santo Niño.
As we said before, the devotion to the Santo Niño spread all over the world, mostly in Spanish-speaking countries. We know that as Spain sent explorers to the far corners of the world, with them came statues of the Saints, the Blessed Mother and the Santo Niño.
And with that we come to a very strong devotion to the Santo Niño in New Mexico. In the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, there is a Sanctuary called El Santuario de Chimayo. Now this was a very holy place before El Santo Niño arrived. It has been known as the Lourdes of America. Actually, this Shrine was initially made famous by a Miracle of the Cross.
The Miracle of the Cross of Chimayo
Our story takes us back to the early 1800's. News of cures came to the attention of the media encouraging well-known periodicals to write about the Shrine. There is written testimony, in the archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, documenting a letter written by a priest to his Bishop in 1813, stating that there were hosts of pilgrims coming from far and near seeking cures for their illnesses and afflictions. And as the news of ever-growing cures spread, more and more keep coming. Today, as many as 300,000 pilgrims visit the Shrine each year, paying homage to their Savior and pleading for peace in their families and in the world.
Although there is no written testimony of the following miracle, it has been passed down from one generation to the next, by the faithful of El Potrero attesting to its authenticity. The miracle concerns the miraculous crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas, which was discovered around the year 1810.
One tradition tells us that this miracle occurred during Holy Week on the evening of Good Friday. One of the Penitents of the Hermandad de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, Don Bernardo Abeyta, was performing in the Societys required penances for Holy Week in the hills of El Potrero, when he spotted a light streaming from the bank of one of the hills near the Santa Cruz River. He went to investigate, and noticed that the light was rising from beneath the earths surface. He excitedly began digging with his hands, when suddenly he discovered a Crucifix! Not wanting to disturb the Crucifix, until he could bring it to the attention of the right authorities, he left the Crucifix where he found it. Then he set out to share news of his priceless treasure with his neighbors and other villagers, entreating them to come and see it.
A contingency of men set out immediately to apprise the parish priest of Santa Cruz, Father Sebastian Alvarez. No sooner had he heard of the happenings, then Father and the men departed in haste for Chimayo. Upon approaching the Crucifix, Father went down on his knees and after solemnly venerating it, lifted it and carried it in procession to his parish church in Santa Cruz. He reverently placed it in an alcove on the main Altar. Then he closed the church for the evening. When he went to open the church the next day, you bet there was a huge crowd waiting to enter and venerate the Crucifix. But when they approached the Altar, the alcove where Father had placed the Crucifix was empty! As the church had been locked, the only answer was it must have returned to Chimayo.
Sure enough, when they arrived in Chimayo, there was the Crucifix, right where they had found it. Father summoned the people of the parish and a second procession set out for Chimayo. Father reverently carried the Crucifix back to his parish church in Santa Cruz, and returned it to its alcove on the main Altar. Once again he locked the church, only to find, the next morning, the Crucifix was gone.
He set out for Chimayo a third time, retrieved the Crucifix, returned it to the church in Santa Cruz, locked the church, only to find the following morning the Crucifix had disappeared and had returned to Chimayo. Nothing was left to do, but build a small chapel, as He was called, El Señor de Esquipulas.
Santo Niño de Atocha in New Mexico
The town of Chimayo became famous, in addition to the miraculous Crucifix, as the town blessed by "holy dirt"-dirt which, accompanied by much prayer and the Will of God, is known to have brought about miraculous cures. During Holy Week, pilgrims come by the thousands upon thousands from the many parts of the world, especially from New Mexico, where they walk up to 1,000 miles to get to the Shrine. You can see the roadside filled with pilgrims, many carrying heavy crosses, processing toward Chimayo.
In addition to the miraculous Crucifix, El Santuario de Chimayo is also and most especially famous for the Santo Niño de Atocha Who dwells there. It is a popular belief by the natives that the Santo Niño was found in that area where the holy dirt is found. As the story has been passed down, a farmer and his daughter were plowing his fields, when suddenly the girl heard what she thought were church bells tolling from beneath the earth. She implored her father to dig and retrieve them. He dug, and not only found the bells, but a wooden statue of Santo Niño de Atocha.
Since that time, one visiting Chimayo can count on the locals telling of the Santo Niño who goes about performing miraculous cures throughout the region. It is common belief that He wears out His slippers, setting out each evening among the people, bringing about miracles. The faithful bring their tiny loved ones baby shoes and place them on the Altar, for the Santo Niño, to replace those worn out by His nightly visits throughout the region, seeking and helping those in dire need. He has been affectionately dubbed Santo Niño Perdido, Holy Infant Lost, by many of the parishioners because He is not present in the church at night.
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