Taos, NM #1 ~ A Native American Pueblo & Sacred Church

On our way to Taos, we planned to stop at El Sanctuario de Chimayo We left Santa Fe early in the morning in order to get to the church before it was too busy. My mother spent much of her life in this area and was an avid photographer. She loved to photograph Northern New Mexico. Even though I hadn’t visited these places before, the minute we arrived, I felt like I’d found a long lost friend.

The first thing you notice when entering this area is the fence filled with crosses. It’s very moving. There are several places of worship in the Courtyard. Just off to the East, there is a beautiful stream. We picked up a few branches and some debris and a made a cross to leave.

The Sanctuary is one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage centers in the US. Over 300k visitors come each year and every Good Friday, tens of thousands of people make the pilgrimage here. This church is known for it’s “El Pocito” a small hole of Holy Dirt in the ground in the side chapel. Many people claim it has remarkable curing powers. As you exit the room with the hole, there are rows of crutches left by people allegedly healed here.

You can spend several hours here with plenty to see.

Check out the second part of our Taos Trip.

Tip: If you see a roadside stand, STOP! The sell all kinds of red and green chili spices and more that you can’t get anywhere else in the world!