Baby Jesus of Atocha
The baby Jesus of Atocha (El Santo Niño de Atocha) is a miraculous image that is particularly venerated in Spain and Mexico . Miracles that occurred in the Cantigas de Santa Maria in Atocha were mentioned as early as the 13th century . Atocha is now a municipality in Madrid .
Lore
When the Iberian Peninsula was occupied by Moors , they refused to feed their Christian prisoners. After all, only children under the age of twelve were allowed to help their relatives. The women of the village therefore prayed for help in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary in Atocha. It was then reported that a child dressed as a pilgrim entered the prisons at night , brought food and drink, and comforted the prisoners. When the women thanked the Virgin Mary for her intercession, they noticed that the shoes of the Baby Jesus worn by the Virgin Mary were dusty and torn. The shoes were replaced, but they got dirty again. The people of Atocha saw this as a sign from God that it was the baby Jesus who came to the prisoners every night.
Mexico
As part of the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish conquistadors , the worship of the baby Jesus of Atocha also came to the " New World ". Every year around one and a half million people make a pilgrimage to the miraculous image of the Infant Jesus in the sanctuary of the Mexican pilgrimage site of Plateros near the city of Fresnillo in the state of Zacatecas . The Santuario was recognized by UNESCO as part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro as a World Heritage Site in 2010 .
Web links
- El Santo Niño de Atocha
- The American Traditional Catholic Church: El Santo Nino de Atocha
- Anna María Fernández Poncela (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco 2003):
El Santo Niño de Atocha: Origen, Funcíon y actualidad (span.) (300 kB; PDF)