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About these Medals:
These medals of the Santo Niño de Atocha, were buried, left, and exhumed from the churchyard of the the Santo Niño de Atocha Chapel in Chimayo, NM, washed in holy water from the Santuario in Chimayo and from the original Santuario in Plateros, Zacatecas, MX,
The Chapel in Chimayo is the oldest dedicated church to the Santo Niño in the United States. It began in 1857 when Severiano Medina, a member of the tiny village of El Potrero, became ill and promised that, if he recovered, he would complete a pilgrimage to the shrine of Santo Niño de Atocha in Plateros, Mexico. He carried out this promise and received permission to construct a chapel to host the Holy Child in New Mexico. The churchyard of the chapel holds the graves of the Medina family.
About the Santo Niño de Atocha:
The Santo Niño de Atocha offers everyone his protection, healing and benevolent care. His devotion began in Spain during the Middle Ages, when the statue of the infant Jesus was said to come to life to bring food and water to the men of Atocha, who were imprisoned by their Moorish conquerors.
He became known as being a kind and generous Saint - and for providing miracles to people all over the world. The little Santo and his miracles were carried across New Spain - and faith in him took root everywhere from the Phillipines to Mexico to the Southwestern United States.
In New Mexico, the Santo Niño is known and revered not just by Catholics but by the Zuni. To the Zuni, the little one isn't a niño but a niña - and she is the daughter of the Sun. Those differences aside, her ability to grant miracles, and the rite of the walking pilgrimage are identical.
In the Phillipines, devotees dress the Santo Niño according to where he is enshrined or what the focus of the miracles they request are. He's usually dressed in red for the home for love, warmth and comfort - in green at work, often with a little purse instead of his basket - for money and success, etc., or in the clothes of their professions - doctors coat, police uniform, etc. to request his patronage over their jobs.
In Mexico, he is credited with rescuing people from mortal danger, curing diseases, finding lost children, providing money and food for those in need, and countless other miracles.
Also Available:
The medals are available on their own or with the other offerings.
I have 15 Italian Santo Niño de Atocha prayer cards, with embedded medals.
I also have 5 bottles of Holy Water from the Santuario in Chimayo where the Santo Niño chapel is located.