All images © Kevin Moloney


Candy Cata, a resident of San Juan Pueblo, reaches into the saint-surrounded posito for a sample of the legendary mud of Chimayó. People of all classes and races will come to take a little bit of the earth for traditional reasons or as a souvenir of their visit. Cata had brought a group of senior citizens from her pueblo for an annual Holy Week visit.



Danny Tinoco answers a question for his son Angelo while they pray together at the altar of the Santo Niño in the sacristia. Behind the statue of the baby saint is an impressive testimonial — over 30 crutches and canes, as well as written accounts of the power of the place, the mud and the Santo Niño.

Legend maintains that a small child appeared to prisoners in Atocha, Spain during the Moorish occupation and fed several hundred with a few loaves of bread, and a jug of water. The saint is reputed to leave his niche at night to help the faithful, thus wearing out his shoes. Those wishing help from the baby saint often leave new baby shoes as a show of devotion, and at the Santuário de Chimayó, one can find a large pile of shoes below the statue on a good day.



Father Casimiro Roca blesses the grandson of a pilgrim among the Good Friday crowd. The 71-year-old priest stands guard near the front of the church through most of the week-long pilgrimage to bless visitors and answer questions. He doesn’t accept the legends of Chimayó as literally true. Instead Father Roca maintains great respect for the power of faith. “I don’t believe in dirt. I believe in people.”



Over 200 crutches left by people who attribute their regained health to the Santuário are piled in the attic of the church. Caretaker George Chavez said there is no room for them anywhere else.



“Too much work,” grunts the 80-year-old Chavez as he scrapes wax from the candle holders around the church. George Chavez died two months after the 1989 Easter holiday on one of his daily trips to clean the church built by his family. Father Roca, upset at the loss of his closest friend, doubted his ability to find a person willing to work in the chapel seven days a week for very little money.


All images © Kevin Moloney

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