Pilgrims

We are very fortunate to be in northern New Mexico during Holy Week, and doubly blessed to be in Chimayo on the Thursday before Easter. This is the time when thousands of people make a pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo, either on foot or on horseback. They come from communities as far away as Albuquerque, traveling alone or with friends and family. Most make the journey without any motorized assistance, although some older folks travel part of the way by bus. They are helped by others at roadside stands who offer water, food, or a shady spot to rest. As we drive by groups of pilgrims, we are moved by their devotion.

The church, built in 1815, is believed to be a place of healing. The room beside the altar has a small hole in the floor filled with holy dirt, a spoonful of which can be taken and used to cure any sort of ailment. There are other pilgrimage sites in this part of the country, but none have the beauty and serenity of Chimayo.