What better way to close this first tour we do for the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro to finish in Silversmiths, opposite the altar of the Santo Niño de Atocha, which image to my story, the most personal and intimate you can count links. Here the story: As you know, and graying, although, fortunately, and, above all, genetics are few, almost rare that I have my almost 56 years of existence. It happens that does just that amount of years, she still lived in the best room I've ever had in my life, my mother's womb, she knew that I had gone wrong, there was a name that at the time, 1955, was used to designate evil, something like "tied."
Maybe I'm confusing things because at that time were not used ultrasound and find out the sex of the baby was surprise that it was just at the time of birth. So, probably it was during the birth process that my mom found out that besides tied, "was breech, she poor, the advantage, so to speak, was that I was already the eighth delivery. Since the chances that died there were many. She, expressing his devotion, which he always beat me ever again, invoked the Holy Child of Atocha, which, in other words, appeared right in the delivery room of the now defunct Benjamín González clinic in Irapuato, just 18 kilometers
The customs of the era marked given that a petition involving the payment of a charge, therefore the demand to Silversmiths, in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, they should do. Which, unfortunately, never was able to, I could never make her arm but as you must always pay the debts, even more, spiritual debts at the first opportunity I had to reach Silversmiths, I did. The promise was fulfilled, although I did solo, because she already had a dozen or more years have passed away.
Regardless, I think the story of the Child of Atocha is one of the most beautiful that has been woven over the centuries. Start, of course, in Atocha, ie in Madrid, when the Saracen s invaded Spain, just in the last part of the Middle Ages and the law that they imposed was that every prisoner Catholic who could have received food from his family, as long as they were brought for a male child under 13 years.
All children and young people who went to jail was always amazed to see a child who stood out among all, first by the sweetness of her face and more than that, because to Cart left hand had always had bread, and gave it to all those Christians who did not have any family that takes them food. In the right hand had a bowl of water which will never be exhausted.
The rumor grew and grew, as the image of the child did not go unnoticed, but quite the opposite, and it happened that custodial parents the temple of the Virgin of Atocha saw as the Children's sandals were dirty, muddy. The cleaned and the next day they reappeared dirty too, it was then that he knew it was precisely the Child of Virgen de Atocha Virgen de Atocha which appeared in jail to feed Catholic prisoners whose only crime was that, just being Catholic.
When mines are discovered in Zacatecas one of them was precisely Silversmiths, a place where the wealthy (do not know his name) Mining raises the temple for Lord of the Silversmiths, Christ that is brought from Spain and from which we can see the case even where it was transported to Veracruz and from there follow the Camino Real in 1690 and deposited in the nearby mine at Fresnillo. Included within the temple an image of the Virgin of Atocha, it disappeared but was kept the Holy Child in her arms. Time and popular faith was becoming increasingly important to the cult of the Holy Child, leaving the background the worship the Christ of the Silversmiths.
Today the Shrine of the Holy Child of Atocha Silversmiths, Zacatecas, is located between the third and fourth of the most visited in Mexico list headed by the Basilica of Guadalupe, followed by the Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos and the third site varies between the Holy Lord of Chalma and Santo Niño de Atocha. The collection of retablos kept next to the temple is something truly impressive, a test of faith toward latent image of the Child.
The photographs that appear here relate to the Museum's exhibition of retablos Zacatecas, which took in the sanctuary were in memory of the camera that was stolen ... things in life, someday again Silversmiths and you will be able to share images of the site. The notes I have about Fresnillo related to the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro also leave them for another day as the photos from that site ran the same fate.
This we now see is the Virgin of Atocha, who carries in his arms the Holy Child of Atocha, which I entrust myself to achieve my commitment to continue along the Camino Real, this time from the Sanctuary in Silversmiths, to Real del Parral.
Amen.
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