🙏 El Santuario de Chimayó
United States
About This Sacred Site
El Santuario de Chimayó, nestled in the mountains of northern New Mexico, is the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in the United States and is often called the 'Lourdes of America.' Built in 1816, the small adobe chapel houses a pocito (small well) containing 'holy dirt' believed to have miraculous healing properties. Thousands of crutches, braces, and photographs left by those who claim to have been cured line a room adjacent to the sanctuary. During Holy Week, up to 300,000 pilgrims walk to Chimayó from as far away as Albuquerque, some covering over 90 miles on foot. The site blends Catholic devotion with older Tewa Pueblo traditions of sacred earth.
Key Facts
- •Called the 'Lourdes of America' — the most visited Catholic shrine in the United States
- •Up to 300,000 pilgrims walk to Chimayó during Holy Week each year
- •The 'holy dirt' in the pocito is believed to have miraculous healing properties
- •Built in 1816 on a site already sacred to the Tewa Pueblo people
- •A room filled with crutches and braces left by those who claim to have been healed
Location
Coordinates: 35.9917, -105.9472
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