On a trip to New Mexico last week, we went and checked out El Santuario de Chimayo, an old church which has become a bit of a tourist attraction and or pilgrimage for religious types. The soil in the area is said to have “healing powers” and one of the rooms in the church is adorned with discarded crutches from those “healed” by the chapel’s powerful dirt. You can take dirt with you if you like, from a small pit inside the church. The pit, upon inspection, appeared to be a whole in the ground filled with play sand. But to each his own. Pictures inside were forbidden, so I’m going to hell, but I touched the play sand, so I should be good. I am also an ordained minister, so it’s cool. We found the above sign particularly amusing. It depicts a sacred space, yet is defaced with graffiti.

A fence adorned with hand made crosses. Hundreds of them.

The Holy water may be free. The containers not so much.

Delicious.

Structure next to the church.

Free baby shoes.

Jesus loves candles.

Church patrons and church art.

Entrance to the Holy dirt.

Woman fills a bag with Holy dirt. I hit my head on the way in.

Trying not to get sand in my shoes.

I borrowed a quarter.

Crutches from the healed.

Do not write on the baby shoes.

Do not throw holy dirt.

More handmade crosses.

There are some more photos from the trip that I shot with my iPhone over on my Posterous page.