Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-231) and index.

Catholic settlement of Rio Arriba -- The origin of the Santuario -- New Mexican Catholicism in transition -- The Santo Nio de Atocha -- Selling the Santuario -- The pilgrims and pilgrimage -- The Holy Family and the Santuario today.

Nestled in a valley at the feet of the Sangre de Cristo mountains of New Mexico, the Santuario de Chimayó has been called the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in America. Famous for its miraculous healing dirt, it attracts half a million visitors each year. This book offers the first comprehensive history of this remarkable church, often referred to as the American Lourdes. It tells the fascinating stories of the Pueblo and Nuevomexicano Catholic origins of the site and the building of the church, the eventual transfer of the property to the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and the growth of the modern pilgrimage of believers alongside thousands of tourists and other visitors. Drawing on extensive archival research as well as fieldwork in Chimayó, Brett Hendrickson examines the claims that various constituencies have made on the Santuario, its stories, ritual life, commercial value, and aesthetic character. The importance of the story of the Santuario de Chimayó goes well beyond its sacred dirt, including the significant role Southwestern Hispanics and Catholics have played in American religious history and identity. Book jacket

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