New Mexico L.O.W.F.I

Posts Tagged ‘Chimayo’

Philip Coppens has written a nice article on Chimayo here.

Hat tip to Regan!

CHIMAYO, N.M. (AP) – State transportation workers are getting the route ready for the annual Good Friday pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo in northern New Mexico.

Thousands of pilgrims flock to the Roman Catholic chapel each year, keeping alive an old Catholic tradition of making sacrifices and penance to atone for sins.

New Mexico Transportation Secretary Gary Giron says crews have started sweeping along the usual routes to Chimayo. They also will close the right lane on northbound U.S. 84/285 between N.M. 599 and the Tesuque interchange to give pilgrims a safe walking area.

The department plans to put signs throughout the area to warn motorists of pedestrians on the roadway.

Law enforcement will patrol the routes during the pilgrimage.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

This is a very big deal for Catholics in NM at Easter.  Nearly 30,000 people make this pilgrimage each year, many of them walking from Albuquerque and even further.

Back years ago, there was a miraculous sand pit at the Santuario.  Supposedly it refilled itself miraculously each night.  However, several years back a priest actually admitted that they fill it each night with blessed sand.  Still, there are many people that claim to have been healed by the blessed sand or maybe by the Santuario itself.