El Santuario at Chimayo

Arriving in early spring, we are treated to the flowers of the early blooming  bushes. It adds some cheer to the sunny plaza and makes buying Chimayo chilé a very happy event.

The area is a mix of old and new all jumbled together. Outside the store where we bought our chilé is this old gas pump. I'm sure it has fill many lowriders in its day.

I was hoping to bring you photos of the interior of the sanctuary but photos inside are forbidden. I have narrowly interpreted the meaning to be no photos only in the sanctuary proper so I can show one of the more interesting parts of the building. In a covered addition to the formal sanctuary is this long room. On the wall shared with the holy part (and the back wall) is a carpet of photos of people who have come here and experienced a miracle of some sort.

The low door at the back is the entry into the room containing the holy dirt. It is called...the Holy Dirt Room, oddly enough. As you can see, there is a hole in the floor (no, that is not why it is called holy) and a shovel in the sand found there for scooping out the dirt. I've been here several times over the years and the hole is never empty. I can only assume that the priest here blesses new additions of dirt just as holy water is created by the proper blessings.

But even more interesting is the wall of crutches on the wall opposite the many photos. These are presented as evidence that some who come on sticks for support leave soley under their own power. Truly a special place to visit. Chilé and miracles; what more can you ask for in life?