Chimayo, New Mexico: The Shrine of Our Lord of Esquipulas & the Shrine of Santo Nino de Atocha
About Chimayo:
Here on the West slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains stands one of the most famous shrines in the American Southwest. Known as the “Lourdes of America” it is a place of pilgrimage and reported healings, drawing faithful not only from the area, but from all over the world.
There are actually two shrines here, the first being El Santuario de Chimayo, that has a crucifix of “Nuestro Senor de Esquipulas”. The wooden crucifix was un-earthed by a friar around 1810 and is now on the altar of the chapel.
El Santuario’s origins trace to 1810, when a local farmer and devout Catholic, Bernardo Abeyta, experienced a vision. According to tradition, while working his fields on Good Friday, he saw a light emanating from the ground near the Santa Cruz River. Digging at the spot, he uncovered a wooden crucifix depicting the crucified Christ, identified as Nuestro Señor de Esquipulas, a devotion from Guatemala centered on a miraculous image of Jesus. Abeyta took the crucifix to the local priest, who placed it in the Santa Cruz church, but it mysteriously returned to the site three times. Interpreting this as a divine sign, Abeyta built a small chapel there between 1813 and 1816 with community help.
The land belonged to Abeyta’s family, part of Spanish land grants in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The crucifix’s connection to Esquipulas—a shrine in Guatemala known for healing earth—may explain the santuario’s association with curative soil. Over time, the site evolved from a private chapel into a communal pilgrimage destination, officially named El Santuario de Chimayó.
El Santuario de Chimayó stands out for its blend of history, mystery, and living faith—a small adobe church with an outsized impact. The sanctuary is a modest, single-story adobe structure, a classic example of Spanish Colonial architecture common in New Mexico. Built with thick mud walls, wooden vigas (beams), and a pitched tin roof added later, it measures about 60 feet long and 24 feet wide. Twin bell towers topped with crosses frame the entrance, giving it a rustic yet striking silhouette against the high desert landscape.
Inside, the nave is simple but vibrant, with a wooden altar adorned by a reredos (screen) painted with saints, including the original Esquipulas crucifix as the centerpiece. The walls feature folk-art retablos (devotional paintings) and bultos (carved wooden statues), many donated by pilgrims as thanks for answered prayers. The ceiling’s exposed beams and the packed-earth floor (now tiled in parts) add to its humble charm.
The heart of the santuario is the “El Posito”—a small, low-ceilinged room off the nave with a shallow pit in the floor containing the holy dirt. Pilgrims scoop this soil into bags, rub it on their bodies, or even ingest it, believing it channels divine healing. Adjacent is a “testimony room” filled with crutches, braces, photos, and hand-written notes left by those attesting to cures from ailments like cancer, paralysis, or infertility.
The grounds include a courtyard with a Stations of the Cross path, outdoor altars, and a separate chapel, the Santo Niño de Atocha Chapel, built later by Severiano Medina in gratitude for his survival as a WWII prisoner. This chapel honors the Holy Child of Atocha, popular among Hispanic Catholics for aiding the desperate, and is festooned with baby shoes offered by parents seeking blessings for their children.
The Holy Dirt and Pilgrimage:
The main attraction here, El Posito, is a pit from which dirt is taken and from which miraculous cures have been attributed. El Santuario de Chimayó, nestled in the small village of Chimayó, New Mexico, is one of the most significant Catholic pilgrimage sites in the United States. Known as “the Lourdes of America“. it draws around 300,000 visitors annually, with a surge during Holy Week when tens of thousands walk miles—sometimes dozens—to reach it. Its fame rests on its reputation for miracles, particularly tied to the “holy dirt” found in a small pit within the sanctuary, believed to possess healing properties.
You can see some great images of the pilgrimage here.
The holy dirt is the santuario’s defining feature. While no scientific studies confirm its properties—geologically, it’s just sandy soil replenished from nearby hills—its power is a matter of faith. The Catholic Church doesn’t officially endorse the miracles but permits the devotion, viewing it as a grassroots expression of spirituality. Priests bless the site regularly, and the dirt is free, though donations are welcomed.
Locals and pilgrims see it as a place of milagros (miracles). Stories abound: a woman healed of chronic pain, a child walking after years in a wheelchair. Skeptics point to the placebo effect or coincidence, but for believers, the dirt’s sanctity is unquestioned. The site’s intimacy—no grand cathedral here, just a village chapel—enhances its appeal, offering a personal connection to the divine.The Holy Week pilgrimage is the biggest event, peaking on Good Friday. Pilgrims trek from Albuquerque (90 miles), Santa Fe (25 miles), or closer towns, some barefoot or carrying crosses in penance or gratitude. In 2024, an estimated 40,000 walked, a tradition blending Catholic ritual with Hispanic and Native American influences, like the Penitente Brotherhood’s historical presence in the region. The Diocese of Santa Fe now oversees the site, acquired from Abeyta’s descendants in 1976, and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Chimayó reflects New Mexico’s layered heritage—Spanish colonial, Native Pueblo, and Mexican influences melded into a unique Hispano Catholic identity. The santuario predates formal U.S. control of the area (1848, post-Mexican-American War), tying it to a pre-American Catholic tradition. It’s not just a religious site but a cultural touchstone, featured in art, literature, and even a 2004 blessing by Archbishop Michael Sheehan that drew national attention.
There is daily Mass offered as well as confessions and numerous special events scheduled throughout the year. Requests for the “holy dirt” are also honored.
Close by is the Shrine of Santa Nino de Atocha.
Originally, this became a pilgrimage site for World War II soldiers that had survived the Bataan Death March. Many of these soldiers were from the New Mexico National Guard. By war’s end, only half of the 1,800 New Mexico National Guardsmen were still alive.
Those who returned talked about how they attributed their survival to their faith, and to the intercession of Santo Niño de Atocha. These servicemen began this tradition of pilgrimage in Easter 1944 in thanksgiving for their deliverance from the camp. It has grown over the years to include thousands of pilgrims each year.
Traveling to Chimayo, New Mexico:
Chimayo is located 28 miles northeast of Santa Fe. El Santuario is open daily (9 a.m.–5 p.m., with seasonal adjustments) and is free to enter. Parking can get a bit tight during peak times.
Address: 15 Santuario Dr, Chimayo, NM 87522
GPS coordinates: 35° 59′ 22.0560” N, 105° 55′ 54.0588” W
Tel: +1 (505) 351-9961
e-mail: holyfamily@cybermesa.com
Click here for the official El Santuario de Chimayo website.
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