Santo Niño de Atocha Medals

Santo Niño de Atocha Medals – Blessed, Buried, and Washed in Sacred Waters

About These Medals: These medals of the Santo Niño de Atocha have undergone a special ritual process. They were buried, left, and exhumed at the churchyard of the Santo Niño de Atocha Chapel in Chimayo, NM. Afterward, they were carefully washed in holy water from the Santuario in Chimayo and the original Santuario in Plateros, Zacatecas, MX.

The Chapel in Chimayo is the oldest dedicated church to the Santo Niño in the United States. Its origins date back to 1857 when Severiano Medina, a villager of El Potrero, became ill and vowed to complete a pilgrimage to the shrine of Santo Niño de Atocha in Plateros, Mexico, if he recovered. After fulfilling his promise, he received permission to construct a chapel to honor the Holy Child in New Mexico. The churchyard of the chapel is home to the graves of the Medina family, adding to the sacredness of these medals.

About the Santo Niño de Atocha: The Santo Niño de Atocha is revered for his protection, healing, and benevolent care. His devotion began in Spain during the Middle Ages when the infant Jesus was believed to come to life and bring food and water to the men of Atocha, who were imprisoned by their Moorish conquerors. Known as a kind and generous saint, the Santo Niño is credited with performing miracles for people all over the world. His devotion spread across New Spain, taking root in places as far-reaching as the Philippines, Mexico, and the Southwestern United States.

In New Mexico, the Santo Niño is venerated by both Catholics and the Zuni people. To the Zuni, the Santo Niño is recognized as a niña, the daughter of the Sun, though her miraculous powers and the tradition of pilgrimage remain the same. In the Philippines, devotees dress the Santo Niño according to their needs—often in red for love and comfort at home, green for success at work, or in the attire of various professions to request his patronage.

In Mexico, the Santo Niño is credited with rescuing people from mortal danger, curing diseases, finding lost children, providing for those in need, and performing countless other miracles.