Our Santa Fe Photographic Workshops group made a stop in Chimayó, to see the church and the grounds. There was a lot going on; I’ll let Wikipedia explain:

Each year some 30,000 people from all over the world make pilgrimages to the Santuario de Chimayó during Holy Week, especially on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, some seeking blessings and some in fulfillment of a vow. Walking is traditional; some pilgrims walk from as far away as Albuquerque, about 90 miles.

Many visitors to the church take a small amount of the “holy dirt”, often in hopes of a miraculous cure for themselves or someone who could not make the trip. Formerly, at least, they often ate the dirt. Now seekers of cures more commonly rub themselves with the dirt or simply keep it. The Church replaces the dirt in the pocito from the nearby hillsides, sometimes more than once a day, for a total of about 25 or 30 tons a year.

The Church takes no position on whether miracles have occurred at the Santuario.

I didn’t take any of the dirt, but did leave with quite a few photos, including this one of an outdoor shrine decorated with crosses, candles, coins, and other items left by pilgrims. The Saint and His horse are either blinded by the sun, or by the shadow – I’ll let you decide.

El Santuario de Chimayó
Chimayó, New Mexico
photographed 7.2.14