Chimayó: "The Lourdes of America"

Chapel of the Lord of Esquipulas, Chimayó NM

 New Mexico's  license plates proclaim bear the slogan "Land of Enchantment" and this is an apt description of the state in so many ways;  the land itself is beautiful and the culture is suffused with spirituality of both indigenous and Christian.  New Mexico has unique churches with religious art that is not like anything you will see anywhere else.  Among these is the Shrine of Chimayó with it's Chapel of the Lord of Esquipulas tucked back in the hills about 28 miles outside of Santa Fe.  It is a very peaceful, quiet, meditative place but it is also sometimes called the "Lourdes of North America" after the France's famous healing center because it is also a place where many come seeking miraculous healing. 

Chimayó is among the top eight Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in North America

and receives about 300,000 visitors a year; during Holy Week Chimayó is visited by some 30,000 pilgrims.  In 1970 Chimayó was declared a National HIstoric Landmark.

(Please note that all photos can be enlarged by clicking on them).

Chapel of the Lord of Esquipulas, Chimayó, New Mexico

The Chimayó complex spreads over several acres and includes meditation gardens, two chapels  and  an outdoor altar for masses.  The chapel shown in the photograph 

is the heart of the shrine.  Originally, it was a private chapel built between 1813-1816 by Bernardo Abeyta, a leader of the Penitentes, a group of devout laymen devoted to the Passion of Christ and to helping their communities.  The Penitentes grew up  during the time in New Mexican history when there were few priests in the area, filling the void left by the absence of clergy and keeping the Catholic faith alive for the people.  Abeyta commissioned the now-famous santeros Antonio Molleno, José Aragon and José Rafael Aragon to create the four altar screens (reredos) along the sides of the nave of the chapel. 

Christ of Esquipulas, Chimayó, NM

The photo above show the Christ of Esquipulas for whom the chapel was founded. There are differing stories about the origins of this very important crucifix.  One relates a miraculous finding of this cross by Bernardo Abeyta on Good Friday in 1810 while other sources claim that Abeyta had the santero Antonio Molleno carve it.  Abeyta himself was reported to have had an interest in the worship of Nuestro Señor de Esquipulas from Esquipulas, Guatemala, a devotion which is associated with the eating of a fine sand-like clay believed to have healing powers.  Chimayó similarly has "holy dirt" believed by many to have healing powers.  

"Pocito" with Chimayó's Holy Dirt

Altars:  

The chapel is a holy space for those who come there to worship.  Worshippers are surrounded by images of the saints and holy figures that form the center of their spiritual lives. These painted santos and statues (bultos) for them connect heaven and earth and through them there is access to the heavenly realm. The altarpieces  of Chimayó are classic examples of New Mexican santero art executed by masters of the trade. 

 The altars display two different kinds of santos:  flat-painted pictures (retablos) and three-dimensional statues (bultos). Although the santo is not the saint it represents it takes on in its holiness and functions as a kind of go-between the earthly and heavenly realms. 

Main Altar, Chimayó

Historically, It was their relationship with these santos  that gave the people of  New Mexico  a sense of control and security in their perilous environment. They turned to these retablos and bultos  in times of danger or need.  Scholar Thomas J. Steele describes the santos as "the parts of a power system that reached from heaven to earth and controlled hell" and listed 143 saints  prayed to by the New Mexican people. The relationship that people had with their santos was very personal. When a santo answered prayers they were rewarded (a fiesta or new dress for a statue) and when petitions were not fulfilled, a santo might be punished by being turned to face the wall.

 In the above main altar,  clockwise from the top left the symbols are: Cross with the lance and rod with the sponge, a heart and the four wounds (all symbols of Christ's Passion), Franciscan emblem- crossed arms of Christ and St. Francis, crown of thorns and three nails, symbolic representation of Psalm 22,Virgin Mary, grapes, a symbol of Christs' blood, Crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas, two angels, St. John, stalk of wheat symbolizing Bread of Life. You will also notice geometric designs on the sides of the altarpiece.

Entering the chapel the first altarpiece you come to on your left was probably executed 

by the santero José Aragon of Chamisal, NM.   

Altar by José Aragon, Chimayo, NM

The bulto, the carved figure behind the glass at the bottom center is the

 Archangel Raphael. Beginning clockwise to his left:  Archangel Gabriedl, St. Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of the Lakes, St. Anthony of Padua and in the middle center is St. Jerome.  At the very top of the altar there is a painting of God the Father, as seen in the photo below.

God the Father, Chimayó, NM

The second altarpiece you come to on the left was probably painted by José Aragon. At its top is an image of the Holy Trinity shown as three men that was very typical of the iconography of the time.  In the row below the top from left to right are Archangel Raphael, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Archangel Michael.  In the second row (left to right) are San Juan Nepomuceno, a large bulto of Jesus Nazareno and St. Joseph with the Christ Child. At bottom left is St. Anthony of Padua painted by Enrique Rendon and at the bottom right is St. Francis of Assisi by Horacio Valdez.

Altar, Chimayó, NM

Bulto of Jesus Nazareno, Chimayó, NM

At the top of this altarpiece is a representation of the Trinity as it is often and uniquely painted in Latin American, as three men.  This way of showing the Trinity had been outlawed by the Church but was nevertheless used throughout colonial Latin America.

Trinity detail at top of altarpiece, Chimayó, NM

Entering the chapel this is the first altarpiece you will see on your right was painted by

Antonio Molleno.  It is topped by the shell design characteristic of this artist.  In the top row from left to right on the top row are St. Dominic, the Cross of Esquipulas, and Our Lady of Sorrows.  I the bottom row are St. Cajetan, a bulto of St. Cajetan by Alex Ortiz and St. Francis Xavier.

Altarpiece, Chimayó, NM

The chapel's final altarpiece, which is the second on your right as you enter was painted by the School of José Rafael Aragon.  At the top there is a dove that represents the Holy Spirit.  In the top row from left to right are St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Joseph with Jesus as a child, St. Gertrude the Great.  In the bottom row, left to right, are St. Rosalie of Palermo, a bulto whose identity can be changed by changing the dress and St. Clare of Assisi.

Altarpiece, Chimayó, NM

Holy Spirit in the for of a Dove, Chimayó, NM

Jesus and the Penitentes:

Contemporary statue of Christ in Penitente Style

The Passion of Christ was the focus of the Penitentes and it is this striking statue of Jesus greets visitors as they enter the chapel.  The statues favored by the Penitentes were characterized by large hands as this statue very clearly displays.  The location of this statue directly after the entrance is more or less a mark of identity of the chapel as a Penitente locale.  This group was often at odds with the Catholic Church and in the latter part of the 19th century, the Church attempted to suppress them but in 1947, they were reconciled with and recognized by the Church.

Santo Entierro, Christ in the Tomb, is not unique to the Penitentes, and is a representation found in almost all Latin American Churches. 

 

Santo Entierro, Chimayó, NM

However, representations of Santo Entierro in New Mexico are very unique, because they portray Jesus waking up in the tomb.  His arm has moved from it's side and if you look closely, you can see his mouth opening.  This is not found elsewhere in Latin America.

Pocito:  Holy Dirt Room:

Sign inside the Pocito, Chimayô, NM

Inside a room to the side of the main chapel, there is a very small circular pit of sand-like dirt that is said to have healing capacities.  Visitors put quantities of this dirt in paper bags or other containers to put on ailing body parts.

Holy Dirt, Chimayô, NM

The room is quite small and only a few people can fit in at one time.  On the shelves that line the room are objects that pilgrims have brought as gifts.

Inside the Pocito, Chimayô,NM

Santo Niño Chapel:

The Santo Niño chapel is adjacent to the Pocito and it is where people post photos and bring gifts to express gratitude for hearings or hoped-for healings.

Photos of Pilgrims, Chimayó NM

Santo Niño Chapel, Chimayô, NM

Santo Niño de Atocha is a devotion that came from Spain in the 12th century.

Very briefly, there was a child who repeatedly showed up in a prison bringing food and water for the prisoners.  This child had not been sent by the families of the men and the belief came to be that this unknown child was the child Jesus. There is also a legend that there was a statue of Mary with young Jesus and that the child would repeatedly go missing and this was incorporated into the Santo Niño de Atocha legend. 

Santo Niño de Atocha, Chimayó, NM

Small Shrine that contains the Santo Niño in the photo above, Chimayo, NM

Chimayó is a place that is beloved by many, many people. Generally, photography is not permitted, but through an application process it is possible to get permission, as I was able to do recently.  The administration wants to make sure that the photos will be used in a way that respects the beliefs of the faith and treats the shrine with respect.

The Shrine of Chimayó is a beautiful, peaceful place that can be taken on many levels by visitors.  For some it is simply a peaceful, beautiful place, for others, an opportunity to see  important pieces of New Mexican santo art,  for the devout it is a place to pray surrounded by the saints to whom they are devoted and for those needing healing it is a place to come hoping for a miracle.    

There will always be skepticism about miracles, but we need to remember that the place where miracles happen is within people.  As a professor of mine who is also a Catholic priest once said about the Virgin of Guadalupe, the real miracle is what she does for the people who believe in her, for the hope she gives to them.  The same can be said of Chimayó.

Understanding New Mexico's Santos

The santos of New Mexico are unique,  unlike any other religious art you will encounter.

Each year collectors come to Santa Fe's famed Spanish Colonial Market to look at and buy the retablos (flat painted images) and bultos (statues) displayed by over two-hundred saint-makers, the santeros and santeras.  But, as fabulous as these pieces are visually, they are much more than just artwork and have had  a fascinating history and role in the religious lives in the people of New Mexico.

Bulto of Mary with Jesus 

Retablo of the Holy Trinity

St. Joseph holding Christ Child

Bulto of the Flight to Egypt

Various Retablos and Bultos at Spanish Market, Santa Fe, NM

Retablo of Virgin and Child with Holy Spirit descending

Bulto of St. Francis of Assisi

Bulto of Virgin Mary saving souls from Purgatory

In his sermon at the recent Spanish Market Mass in Santa Fe, NM, the archbishop commented that the saint-makers, the santeros "have their religion in their fingertips".  In these few words, he summarized the history and purpose of the beautiful santos and bultos created by the makers of this form of religious art.  You see, for many years when there were very few priests in New Mexico, these paintings and statues were the New Mexican peoples' primary connection with the spiritual domain.

 Although New Mexican Santos are collected as art, this is not their real purpose. For the faithful, they link heaven and earth and for them these objects were and are plug-ins to the divine. Although the santo is not the saint it represents it takes on in its holiness and functions as a kind of go-between the earthly and heavenly realms. The santeros who created and create santos were and are expected to live morally and religiously exemplary lives.  They are not just artists, because to create a holy image they must lead lives of holiness, as well. 

Stylistically, the New Mexican santos had nothing in common with the Renaissance-baroque images of colonial central Mexico.  The retablos were painted on pieces of wood cut by the santero from local trees and do not show the attempts at perspective or scale that characterize Renaissance art.  The bultos, the statues, were also carved by their makers in a style unknown outside of New Mexico. During colonial times New Mexico was completely isolated from the outside culture and had a whole different and unique set of influences-  Franciscan piety and spirituality, local folk traditions and the indigenous cultures of the area. 

New Mexican History: Its Isolation and the Santos

Why was New Mexico so isolated?  First settled by the Spanish in 1658, the area was  intended to be a buffer zone protecting the silver-rich north of Mexico against incursions by hostile Indian groups and to prevent expansion by the English and French. Initially, missions were set up by the Franciscan order to instruct the indigenous Pueblo peoples in Christianity, but the relationship with these peoples was never an easy one.  There was a major uprising in 1680, the Pueblo Revolt,  in which many New Mexican settlers were killed and  the 2,000 settlers of Santa Fe had to evacuate; twelve years later the area was peaceably resettled.         I

Initially there were a relatively large number of priests in the area of New Mexico, but in the 18th century as the population of New Mexico became more spread out, the mission system disintegrated, The missions were understaffed and whereas in 1760 there had been 26 missions with 25 friars by 1776 there were only 19 priests and by 1820 with a population four times the size it had been in 1776, there were even fewer priests.  Some pueblos were visited only once a year by a priest.

In the latter part of the 18th century a group of lay religious societies grew up to fill the void left by the absence of clergy and church services; the most significant of these was known as the Penitentes.  They created a network of moradas, a kind of meeting-house that was open only to members, which provided a religious structure for the community in the absence of the church. These penitentes, almost exclusively male,  strove to imitate Christ's suffering and live lives of holiness and as the penitentes grew so did the demand for religious images, the santos.  A very large number of santos relative to the population were created; 5-6,000 santos from the years 1800-62 still exist.

Bulto of Christ used by Penitentes during Holy Week procession

Santo-making declined after the middle 19th century as New Mexico became less isolated and trade routes opened and connected it with Mexico and the rest of the world. Prints of saints and plaster statues from Europe began to be imported and the production of santos decreased somewhat.  The Penitentes continued to be the main customers for local religious art, primarily statues which they used in their rituals, and this continued until the 1920's when the group declined and along with this, santo production.  

In the later part of the 20th century interest in santos was again stimulated through the efforts of a  group of scholars, collectors and artists.  Santa Fe's Spanish Colonial Market was begun 61 years ago and was central in focusing attention and interest in the Hispanic culture and art of New Mexico.  


How were Santos used?

Bulto of Archangel Rafael from Chimayó Sanctuary

It was their relationship with these santos that gave the people of  New Mexico  a sense of control and security in their perilous environment. They turned to these retablos and bultos  in times of danger or need.  Scholar Thomas J. Steele describes the santos as "the parts of a power system that reached from heaven to earth and controlled hell".  The statue in the photo above is the archangel Rafael, the patron saint of fisherman and there were saints (scholar Thomas J. Steele listed 143 of them) to petition for nearly every sort of issue: San Blas for throat troubles,  San Isidro Labrador for a good harvest, San Ignacio for protection against witch-craft, Saint Rita of Cascia for women looking for a husband and many more.  

The relationship that people had with their santos was very personal. When a santo answered prayers they were rewarded (a fiesta or new dress for a statue) and when petitions were not fulfilled, a santo might be punished by being turned to face the wall.

Here is a link to my video of Santa Fe's Spanish Market and Mass:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7l_1RW_hLg

Further Reading:
If you would like to see or know more about New Mexican santos, here are three excellent books:
Larry Frank.  New Kingdom of the Saints: Religious Art of New Mexico 1780-1907
Thomas J. Steele, SJ.  Santos and Saints.
William Wroth.  Christian Images in Hispanic New Mexico

Colonial Mexico in the Continental United States: Where was Colonial Mexico?

Map of the Viceroyalty of New Spain (click to enlarge)

In colonial times, the Spanish controlled vast territories in the New World, extending from North America to South America and other areas in-between. During the colonial period the country that we now call Mexico was included in the territories that made up the Viceroyalty of New Spain.  The Spanish called the area that today is central and southern Mexico "New Spain" and since the Viceroyalty's capital was in Mexico City, the entire territory was also referred to as Mexico.  After its independence from Spain in 1821, it became known exclusively as Mexico.   New Spain and later Mexico, included vast areas that are within what is now the continental United States. These included parts of  Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Texas.    

New Mexico, a northern territory meant to serve as a buffer zone protecting the silver-rich northern areas of New Spain/Mexico from Indian incursion, remained a part of Mexico until 1858.  Texas was a part of New Spain and then Mexico from 1690-1836. Parts of Texas still retain a strong Mexican character and in the area around of San Antonio, there remains a chain of restored colonial-era Roman Catholic mission churches that are now a National Park. 

In future posts I  will be writing more about New Mexico,  which retains a very strong hispanic identity and the Spanish Missions of Texas.  In these areas, and others in the U.S.,  the boundary between Mexico and the United States remains lightly drawn.   

Spanish Market and Mass, Santa Fe NM 2014 with Video

Booth at Spanish Market, Santa Fe NM

You can view my Spanish Market and Mass video at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7l_1RW_hLg.  In it you will see the santeros, the artists who make the holy images, as well as the religious ceremony in which the images are blessed.  But first, please read the background information that I have provided below so that you will better understand what you are seeing.

 Background: 

Spanish Empire in New World

As you can see from the map, Spain's territories in the American continent extended well into what is now the United States.  Some areas of what is now the United States maintain a strong connection with their Spanish Colonial roots; one of these is Santa Fe, New Mexico. After consolidating their territories in Mexico, the Spanish began to move north in search of new lands and in 1598 Juan de Oñate founded the first Spanish settlement in New Mexico. In 1610, Santa Fe was established as the capital of this area and is the oldest capital in the U.S. In 1680 there was a major Pueblo Indian uprising known as the Pueblo revolt and the Spanish left the area, returning to resettle there some twelve years later.

Once peaceably settled, the cultures of the area, the Hispanic and the Pueblo intermingled in many spheres- art, architecture, dress, food and worship.  The annual Spanish Colonial Market in Santa Fe celebrates the artistic culture that emerged from this encounter.

 Santo of Virgin Mary

Several art forms are represented at Spanish Market- santos, bultos, colcha embroidery,furniture and jewelry, but it is the holy images, the santos, also called
retablos and bultos (statues) for which New Mexican art is most famous.

Bulto of Virgin and Child mounted on donkey
(from the Biblical episode of the Flight to Egypt)

Virgin Mary saving souls from Purgatory

 The culture of religious images, of the santos and bultos first flowered during the 18th and 19th centuries.  Scholars point out that there was a scarcity of clergy in the region and that religious images played an important role in keeping religion alive for the people. These images still do this, as you will hear the Archbishop say in his sermon in the video, the santeros (makers of holy images) "have their religion in their fingertips".

Fortress Monasteries: San Augustín, Acolman, MX

San Augustín, Acolman,  is one of the "Fortress Monasteries" of Mexico.  These monasteries, largely dating from the 16th century, resemble European-style fortresses, although none of them ever served this purpose.  These buildings were meant to impress the Indian converts, to be a symbol of the might of Christianity the new religion. These buildings had to compete for grandeur with the temples and pyramids that had for centuries been a part of the meso-american landscape. In short, the friars needed to demonstrate the power of the new Christian God and these fortress-churches were a part of that. 

 For an in-depth discussion of the history and architecture of Fortress Monasteries, please read my recent post on the monastery in Actopan, MX. Here is the link:  http://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2014/06/mexicos-fortress-monasteries-san.htm  

The fortress-like crenellations can be seen on the roof-line of the building as well as on the outer-wall.  Acolman is located in the state of Mexico and is a 45 minute drive from Mexico City.

Ex-Convento of San Augustín, Acolman, MX

Ex-Convento of San Augustín, Acolman, MX

Crenellated outer wall, San Augustín, Acolman, MX

This monastery had a double life; in the 1520's it was a small, primitive Franciscan mission and in 1530 it was given over to the Augustinian order.  Their monastery,San Augustín, was built between 1529-60, although the older more primitive structure was left standing and the old cloister and Open Chapel were incorporated into the new, enlarged building.    The old cloister, built of rough stone, can still be seen and the elevated Open Chapel is a part of it.

Patio of Old Cloister with Cross

The open chapels, or Indian Chapels as they came to be called were where religious services for the newly-Christian indigenous peoples were held. The people would stand outside the building in the large atrium (walled-in outer grounds) of the monastery and hear sermons  preached from open chapels.  Indoor worship was unknown to the native meso-american peoples and services within churches were something that came later in the evangelization process. The Acolman open chapel contains a very old wall mural of St. Catherine of Alexandria beheading the king of Egypt.  

Open Chapel (Indian Chapel), San Augustiín, Acolman, MX

Mural of St. Catherine of Alexandria, San Augustín, Acolman, MX 

 

View of atrium from open chapel, San Augustín, Acolman, MX

The newer cloister was built on a much grander scale than the original more primitive one.

Patio of large cloister, San Augustín, Acolman, MX

Patio of large cloister, San Augustín,Acolman, MX

The cloisters were the part of the monastery that housed the monks and their staff and it is possible for contemporary visitors to walk through their halls.  The building contains fabulous murals on many walls and ceilings that are characteristic of Augustinian monasteries of the period.  

Monastery hall with elaborately painted ceiling, St. Augustín, Acolman, MX

Mural of Crucifixion, St. Augustín, Acolman, MX

Mural depicting Heaven and Hell,  St. Augustín, Acolman, MX

The atrial cross at Acolman is a "plumed cross" and contains much iconographic complexity that is not immediately evident.   The crosses in these early monasteries were never of the type displaying the crucified body of Jesus.  That would have been far too provocative to a people whose native religion so heavily involved human sacrifice.  As in the Acolman cross, the early crosses often showed the instruments of the Passion, the  arma christi (please click on photo to enlarge it) and not the whole body of Jesus, but his face alone.  This latter feature was typical of the Augustinian order and resembled the face of Jesus on Veronica's veil.  

Atrial Cross, St. Augustín, Acolman, MX

Crosses were a symbol shared by both the Christian and mesoamerican cosmologies and the cross at Acolman is a subtle mix of pre-Columbian and Christian symbols. It is called a plumed cross because of the feather-like endings of its horizontal arms. Some European crosses have foliate decoration on the arms, but in the hands of the indigenous stone-carvers who made the crosses like the one above, these became feathers.  To the Aztecs and other mesoamerican groups, feathers were a symbol of royalty and divinity and they were being taught that Christ was the new king and ruler of all.  The cross here stands on a small sepulcher with the grieving Virgin Mary seated outside.

  

Please note that at the time of the photos, San Augustín was still decorated for the Christmas season- those are symbolic stars hanging from the ceiling and part of a Nativity Scene can be seen in the second photo.

Church of San Augustín, Acolman, MX

Church Wall Murals, San Augustín, Acolman

The wall murals in the church display various personalities in the Augustinian order ranging from friars to bishops and archbishops.  Towards the top various Old Testament prophets have been included as well as Saints Peter, Paul, and Simon. 

Bishops in wall murals, San Augustín, Acolman, MX

The murals were part of the larger effort by the Christian newcomers to impress their indigenous  converts with their significance.   In the murals the Augustinians are shown along with prophets and saints,  which certainly would have enhanced their prestige in the eyes of the converts.  Recall, that these images were not just  decoration, but were a statement to on-lookers, that proclaimed the scope and power of the Augustinian order.

Remember that the new Christian religion, although it had the power of the Spanish crown behind it, still had to win over the minds of the converts.  Part of the task of the friars was to communicate to the people the idea that the Christian God  was more powerful than the old gods; art and architecture played a central role in this process.