Blog Archives
The Pilgrim
Someone approaching the church, perhaps to worship, perhaps to seek healing from the holy dirt that’s in a small room off the main chapel.
I saw two women and a small boy putting small amounts of the dirt into plastic bags they’d brought with them; they were using an orange scoop and speaking softly, with reverence; I felt like (and in fact, was) an intruder and didn’t stay. A brochure in a rack beside the dirt warned visitors to neither eat the dirt nor steep and drink it.
El Santuario de Chimayó
Chimayó, New Mexico
photographed 12.25.2015
Also – those bags on the wall are similar to the farolitos in Santa Fe, only these are plastic bags with electric lights inside.
Left in Hopes
Because of its reputation as a healing site, many of the faithful visit the church at Chimayó. The churchyard has many small shrines, each one festooned with items that have been left in hope of a miracle.
El Santuario de Chimayó
Chimayó, New Mexico
Outdoor Seating is Available
But just because it’s available doesn’t mean it’s a good idea…
Santa Fe, New Mexico
photographed 12.24.2015
Gate
A side view of this church. It looks as though that adobe wall will be due for some work come spring.
The day I was there, spring seemed like a long way off.
San José de la Gracia church
Las Trampas, New Mexico
photographed 12.25.2015
Night Church
There were a lot of reasons to get away for Christmas this year. We went to Santa Fe, because it seemed like the place we needed to be, and stayed in a hotel that’s across the street from the Cathedral. From our room, we could hear the church bells chime the quarter-hour and, on Christmas Eve, a jubilant 20 minutes of ringing after Mass ended. Somehow, maybe the bells infused into our heads: without even planning to, we walked across the street on Christmas morning and went to Mass. It seemed…right.
And on Christmas night, I took my tripod to the hotel parking garage and made a few images of the night church.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Santa Fe, New Mexico
photographed 12.25.2015
