New Mexico History Museum presents the exhibition “Chimayó: A Tradition of Faith,” on display April 12, 2025, to May 31, 2027, exploring the history and enduring spiritual significance of the Santuario de Chimayó’s annual pilgrimage.

A public reception hosted by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation Women’s Board will be held on Saturday, April 26, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

The exhibition captures the essence of the pilgrimage through the lens of four photographers. Sam Howarth made the pilgrimage to Chimayó many times and initiated the documentation of this living tradition in 1996. He invited photographers Miguel Gandert, Oscar Lozoya, and Cary Herz to participate, along with oral historians Dr. Enrique R. Lamadrid and Troy Fernández. Howarth received a grant from the New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities to support this project.

The Santuario de Chimayó draws the largest religious pilgrimage in the US during Christian Holy Week. More than 30,000 people make the annual journey through the winding mountain villages of Northern New Mexico to the small adobe church. Many come to obtain the famous healing “holy earth” within the sanctuary.

“All are welcome on the pilgrimage. Young children, adults, and the elderly walk to the Santuario de Chimayó from as far away as Albuquerque or Santa Fe to remember family members who have passed away, in search of blessings and miracles, and to obtain the famous healing ‘holy earth,’” says Cathy Notarnicola, Curator of Southwest History. “All are united in spirit as they traverse their way across the landscape to the Santuario de Chimayó.”

“Chimayó: A Tradition of Faith” also features a recreation of the Santuario’s ex-voto rooms. These rooms and spaces, where pilgrims leave offerings, feature a diverse collection of meaningful objects, from paintings and prints of santos to photographs, letters, locks of hair, military dog tags, and crutches, all testaments to the faith and hope that draw people to Chimayó.

While the sanctuary has been a meaningful place for Christians, its history as a sacred place goes back to time immemorial. The word Chimayó, derived from the Native Tewa term Tsi-Mayoh, was given by Pueblo Indians, who used the area as a healing site long before the arrival of Spanish colonists.

Image: El Descanso (Resting on the Truchas Road), 1996. Sam Howarth, photographer. Palace of the Governors Photo Archives Collection. New Mexico History Museum/Department of Cultural Affairs #HP.2024.14.12