Seven Rock Crosses
by Debra Martz
Title
Seven Rock Crosses
Artist
Debra Martz
Medium
Photograph - Digital Art Photography With Enhancements
Description
On the grounds behind the Santuario de Chimayó are seven rock crosses; one for each day of the week.
North of Sante Fe, New Mexico is a very small community, Chimayo. This church has a long history of being known for healing. A small room on the side of the church has testimony to healing through pictures and objects such as crutches left that were no longer needed. At the back of this small room is a pit where one can collect a small amount of Holy Dirt.
El Santuario de Chimayo is a Roman Catholic, shrine, a National Historic Landmark, is famous for the story of its founding and as a contemporary pilgrimage site. It receives almost 300,000 visitors per year and has been called the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States.
The legends, as found on Wikipedia, are.....
"Some say that before the Spaniards arrived, a hot spring that then flowed near the site was sacred to the Tewa Indians for its healing powers.
One version of the legend says that during Holy Week, Abeyta (or a friar) saw a light shining from the hillside and dug the crucifix up with his bare hands. He turned it over to Fr. Alvarez, who took it to the Santa Cruz church, but the crucifix mysteriously returned to the spot where Abeyta found it. After the third time this happened, Alvarez and Abeyta decided to build a chapel on the spot to house the crucifix.
Another version says Abeyta was watching his sheep and contemplating his blessings, though he was sick, when a vision of his patron saint, San Esquipula, beckoned to him. He went to the place where the saint had appeared and knelt; he was cured immediately. Other people also were cured there, and Abeyta built the chapel in thanks.
A third version says that the crucifix had belonged to a priest from Esquipulas who accompanied the first Spanish settlers in Chimayo. He was killed by Indians and buried in Chimayo. A flood of the Santa Cruz River (a small tributary of the Rio Grande) in the spring of 1810 uncovered the body and the crucifix. People who remembered the priest dedicated the shrine to the Christ of Esquipulas."
©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved
In My Gallery/Collection:
"New Mexico"
20210720-DSC_4250
Uploaded
August 25th, 2021
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Viewed 1,085 Times - Last Visitor from Blue Bell, PA on 03/24/2024 at 2:42 PM
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Comments (24)
Randy Rosenberger
Congratulations for having this piece of your artwork from your portfolio chosen to be featured on our homepage of the WFS group. It is worthy of such admiration and I am proud to display your fine art on the homepage of our family of friends and fine artists. Thanks for sharing your talents and beautiful pieces of artwork with our art community.
Debra Martz
Johanna Hurmerinta, Thank you very much for the feature in your Fine Art America group, Five Star Artists!