New Mexico sacred site named to "100 Most Holy Places on Earth" list
Elizabeth Tucker Elizabeth TuckerElizabeth Tucker Journal Staff Writer
PublishedModified
Santuario de Chimayó in northern New Mexico ranked #72 on a list of the 100 most sacred places across the world.
Patheos.com created the list based on the number of faiths attributing sacred or holy status to each site, the amount of online searches related to it, actual visitors to the location and a final vote by the site's editorial staff as well as a mix of religious leaders and scholars who contribute to the website.
This 206-year-old Roman Catholic Church is home to "Holy Dirt" said to heal wounds, according to the church's website.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims come from all over — some bearing wooden crosses — starting out on Good Friday to participate in the Easter service at the church.
Take a tour of New Mexico sacred place: Santuario de Chimayo
A view of the Santuario de Chimayo in Chimayo, N.M. photographed Monday Dec. 31, 2012.PAT VASQUEZ-CUNNINGHAM
Pilgrims make their way towards the Santuario de Chimayo at daybreak Friday morning. Easter. Religion art.MICHAEL DIBARI JR.
Juan Salazar kisses his daughter Jackie Salazar, 2 months, in the Santuario de Chimayo Friday morning. Salazar, from Albuquerque, was among the thousands of people that visited the northern New Mexico church on Good Friday.Eddie Moore
Claudia Shepard, of Detroit, Michigan paints the Santuario de Chimayo.ADOLPHE PIERRE-LOUIS
Santuario de Chimayo in 2001.ADOLPHE PIERRE-LOUIS
Artificial flowers provide year round color on a cross marking a grave in the courtyard of the Santuario de Chimayo on a recent May day. Religious sites in the New Mexico, some predating the arrival of the Spanish, attract the faithful as well as the curious from around the world.AARON WILSON
Framed by doors dating to 1816, tourist Maryte Murphy of New York City snaps the glow of candles in the Santuario de Chimayo on a recent May day. Religious sites in the New Mexico, some predating the arrival of the Spanish, attract the faithful as well as the curious from around the world.AARON WILSON
Robert Montoya, from Santa Clara, prays in the Santuario de Chimayo. Montoya was among the thousands of people that visited the northern New Mexico church on Good Friday.Eddie Moore
El Santuario de Chimayo, Christmas ornament made by Albuquerque artist David Gallegos.ADOLPHE PIERRE-LOUIS
Ralph Chavez, playing Jesus, and other members of the Our Lady of Sorrows Cathoilc Church in Bernalillo, enact the stations of the cross outside the Santuario de Chimayo, Thursday March 29, 2018. This is the 26th year the church has performed the staions of the cross in Chimayo on the Thursday before Good Friday. Thousands of people will make their pilgrimage to Chimayo this weekend.Eddie Moore
Jonmykel Garcia, from Los Lunas, wears a new Our Lady of Guadalupe shirt as he waits in line to enter the Santuario de Chimayo. Thousands of people were making their Good Friday pilgrimage to the Northern New Mexico Church, Friday March 30, 2018.Eddie Moore
Cecilia Garcia, of Belen, prays for her husband while holding some Holy dirt inside the Santuario de Chimayo Thursday March 25, 2010.PAT VASQUEZ-CUNNINGHAM
Jasmin Perez, 17, from Espanola, waits in line with her cross to enter the Santuario de Chimayo. Thousands of people were making their Good Friday pilgrimage to the Northern New Mexico Church, Friday March 30, 2018. Perez had walked from Santa Cruz.Eddie Moore
People line up to enter the Santuario de Chimayo on Good Friday. Friday, April, 03, 2015.JIM THOMPSON
One of the statues behind the Santuario de Chimayo, Friday April 14, 2017.Eddie Moore
How does the town of Chimayo, New Mexico prepare for Easter Sunday. Pictured are Rosaries hanging at an altar near the Santuario de Chimayo. Chimayo, New Mexico.Roberto E. Rosales
How does the town of Chimayo, New Mexico prepare for Easter Sunday. Pictured is a rock bearing the image of the Santuario de Chimayo left in a niche in a wall along the main road running through town. Chimayo, New Mexico.Roberto E. Rosales
A jug full of "Love Chips" made by Debra Higgason, from Taos, and ready to be given out to people making their Good Friday pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo, Thursday April 18, 2019.Eddie Moore
Julia Trujillo, right, Parris Casados, second from right, and others, all from Denver, make their Good Friday pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo. Even though the pilgrimage had been cancelled hundreds of people made the journey. They said they come every year but missed last year due to the pandemic. Photo shot Friday April 2, 2021.Eddie Moore
People make their way along Juan Medina Road to the Santuario de Chimayo. Thousands of people were making their Good Friday pilgrimage to the Northern New Mexico Church, Friday March 30, 2018.
Ava McKirnan, 9, left, and other members of the Alter Society at Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, greet Mary Reyna, center, from Albuquerque, and 43 other women outside the church in Santa Fe, Thursday June 6, 2018. The group of women are 1 of 4 groups making 100 mile pilgrimages for vocations to the Santuario De Chimayo in Northern New Mexico. This group started in Estancia on Monday. Another group of women started in Albuquerque and groups of men started in Castilla and Chama. The groups are fed and sheltered at churches along the way. They all meet in Chimayo on Saturday. The Arcgdiocese of Santa Fe started the pilgrimage for vocations in the early 70's.Eddie Moore
Bryanna Ellis walks through a snow storm to the Santuario de Chimayo Thursday, October 24, 2019. The first winter storm of the season dropped around 3 inches of snow on the small Northern New Mexico community.Eddie Moore
A poem by George Mendoza gangs on the wall at the Santuario de Chimayo near the "healing dirt" pit. Mendoza is a legally blind artist from Las Cruces.Eddie Moore
George Mendoza, top, works with Santino Jimenez, left, Rajeev Nirmalakhandan who are filming a documentary on Mendoza at the Santuario de Chimayo.Eddie Moore
Brian McClanahan, from Santa Fe, pray at the open air sanctuary at Santuario de Chimayo. They and thousands of people visited the small Northern New Mexico church on Good Friday.Eddie Moore
Cesario Perez, of Albuquerque, holds his grandson Wade Harwood, 5, as he puts a small cross of an outdoor shrine at Santuario de Chimayo.EDDIE MOORE
Jorge Roman, from Albuquerque, prays before a cross along the way the Santuario de Chimayo Friday morning. There was great weather for the thousand of people who made the pilgrimage to the small Northern New Mexico church.EDDIE MOORE
Father Leo Fisher, right, prays with Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church's youth group from Bernalillo outside of El Santuario de Chimayo Thursday, April 9, 2009. The group performed the Stations of the Cross outside of the church in Chimayo on Holy Thursday when Fisher and two other friars walked to Chimayo.Marla Brose
Detail photo of the crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas behind the altar at Santuario de Chimayo, photographed Thursday March 25, 2010.PAT VASQUEZ-CUNNINGHAM
The Santuario de Chimayo has replaced their outdoor alter and Mass area behind the church. The work has been done over the past few months. They will start holding outdoor Mass on Sundays once weather permits. Photo shot Wednesday March 23, 2011.Eddie Moore
The Santuario de Chimayo. Photo shot in Chimayo, Wednesday March 23, 2011. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)Eddie Moore
Adriana Frank, left, from Albuquerque, and Jennifer Houidobre, from Corrales, stop to pray at a cross along Highway 503, on their Good Friday pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo. Thousands of people were making the pilgrimage Friday April 6, 2012.Eddie Moore
Ben Lopez, a wood carver and santero from Espanola, dusts off a bulto of San Cayetano before placing it into a reredos at the Santuario de Chimayo on Friday, April 2, 2004. The Chimayo Art Conservation Project which began its efforts to conserve the art inside the Santuario last September, finished their work on Friday, April 2, 2004.KATHARINE KIMBALL
A group from the Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Albuquerque perform the Stations of the Cross outside the Santuario de Chimayo. Thousands of people made the Giid Friday pilgrimage to Chimayo.Eddie Moore
The image of El Santo Nino de Atoche is one of Johnny Salas' most popular works, which he artisticly embelishes in glitter boxes and on cigar boxes like this one photographed on September 27, 2004. He tries to make each work a little different from the last and have a unique soul. This work is embelished with tiny shoes that reflect the Santuario de Chimayo (accent over o) expierience in Northern New Mexico; Salas also has created works that show El Santo Nino holding Chile and many other variations on the popular work.Jaelyn deMaria Leary
Rosary beads adorn a shrine adjacent to the Santuario de Chimayo.KATHARINE KIMBALL
