June 5, 2009 Dansk tekst til venstre English text on the right Dagens baghave: Backyard of the Day: El Santuario de Chimayo, Chimayo, Santa Fe County, New Mexico El Santuario de Chimayo AKA Lourdes of America is located off County Road 98 in Chimayo, Santa Fe County, New Mexico   Vi tog en skøn køretur gennem bjergene til El Santuario de Chimayo, som også kaldes Amerikas Lourdes. El Santuario de Chimayo er en lille kirke, der blev bygget omkring 1816. Den historie, der er blevet nedleveret, fortæller at Bernardo Abeyta en Langfredag aften omkring 1810 så et lys skinne op fra jorden nær hans hus. Han begyndte at grave og fandt et krucifiks af Vor Herre af Esquipulas, den Sorte Kristus. Bernardo Abeyta tilkaldte først naboerne og derefter den lokale præst, Friar Sebastian Alvarez, som bragte krucifikset med sig til kirken, hvor det blev anbragt ved siden af alteret. Men den næste morgen var krucifikset forsvundet, og man fandt det endnu engang i hullet. Da dette gentog sig en tredie gang, tog man det som et tegn på, at Vor Herre af Esquipulas ville blive, hvor han var, og man byggede en lille kirke her, som i 1816 blev erstattet af den nuværende. We made a beautiful drive through the mountains to El Santuario de Chimayo, known also as Lourdes of America. El Santuario de Chimayo is a small chapel, built around 1816. The story, passed down through generations, tells about Bernardo Abeyta, who one Good Friday evening about 1810 saw a light shining from the ground near his house. He began to dig and found a crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas, the Black Christ. Bernardo Abeyta first summoned the neighbors, then the local priest, Friar Sebastian Alvarez, who brought the crucifix back to the church and placed it near the altar. But the next morning the crucifix had disappeared, and was once again found in the hole in the ground. When this happened yet a third time, it was decided that Our Lord of Esquipulas must want to stay put, and a tiny chapel was built here, which in 1816 was replaced by the current one.

Man må ikke tage billeder inden i kirken, som ellers er virkelig køn på en lidt nativistisk måde, og som fortjener videre beskrivelse. Krucifikset ligger på alteret, men det folk kommer efter i dag er det hul, det blev fundet i, som findes lige bagved alteret. Jorden i hullet siges at være helbredende, og man kan frit benytte sig af det. I et tilstødende rum kan man finde masser af krykker og slynger og hjemmelavede kors. 30.000 mennesker valfarter hertil hvert år, og det er ikke ualmindeligt at høre om mirakuløse helbredelser her, også nu om dage. You're not allowed to take photographs inside the chapel, which is beautifully decorated in a folk art kind of way, and deserves further description. The crucifix lies on the altar, but what people come for these days is the hole from whence it came, which may be found just behind the altar. The dirt in the hole is said to have healing powers, and it may be used freely by visitors. In an adjoining room are lots of crutches and braces and homemade crosses. 30,000 people visit this shrine every year, and it is not uncommon to hear about miraculous healings here, even today.         Dueslag i kirketaget ~ Pigeons in the chapel attic     Der er en lille kirkegård i kirkens forgård. There's a little cemetery in the front church yard.     Santa Cruz River

Kirken forblev i Abeyta familiens eje til 1929, da den blev gjort til del af det lokale katolske ærkestift. The church belonged to the Abeyta family until 1929, when it became part of the local Catholic Archdiocese.         I får lige et par billeder fra køreturen også.... Here are a few photos from the drive up as well....

Tipier ~ Teepees           Garanteret den flotteste bil/campingvogn kombination, jeg nogensinde har set! This is definitely the coolest car/camper combination I have ever seen!

Camping Information We're staying at the Enchanted Trails RV Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we are paying $21.00 (with AAA) for the night for electric and water. Facilities: Full or partial hook-ups Bathrooms with showers Swimming pool and jacuzzi Laundry room Convenience store and gift shop Television lounge Pool table More New Mexico Travel Information Here YESTERDAY TOMORROW