At noon, they began marching.
April 17 marks the day before this year’s Good Friday, which in Santa Fe means one can expect to see a crowd walking north to reach the Santuario de Chimayó church for a yearly religious pilgrimage associated with the near-Easter holiday.
The Santuario de Chimayó, an adobe church more than 30 miles north of Santa Fe, sees an estimated 60,000 pilgrims on the week of Easter, walking in from Española, Santa Fe and some all the way from Albuquerque.
Throughout the upcoming Easter weekend, the state anticipates there will be delays on major routes, including Highway 84/285, NM Highway 503, Juan Medina Road leading to Chimayó and State Road 76 from Espanola to Chimayo. Enhanced traffic patrols will be in effect, and there will be designated areas (such as lanes of traffic) for walkers in highly congested areas. Road closures can also be expected in congested areas, especially those surrounding the chapel.
The event’s safety operations will be conducted by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. Lieutenant Erik Ramirez from the Santa Fe Police Department says SFPD will assist with a DWI checkpoint the County Sheriff’s Office is setting up this evening. Tomorrow SFPD plans to help with the influx of pedestrians heading to Santuario de Chimayó.
“In years past, the biggest issues that they had were people that weren't prepared for the weather. They don't bring enough resources, like water, snacks, that sort of thing,” Ramirez says. “
As of 5 pm, the National Weather Service has reported hazardous weather conditions including a wind advisory effective until at least 9 pm, as well as a red flag warning for fire due to the strong winds and low humidity. Updates to Santa Fe County can be found on the NWS website.
Thursday night’s temperatures will reach a low of 38 degrees Fahrenheit, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph that is anticipated to decrease to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.On Friday and Saturday, precipitation is expected along with thunder on Saturday.
“Just to ensure that they're safe on the walk, we'll be out there in full force, in terms of all the law enforcement agencies from around the area,” Ramirez says. “Our purpose, obviously, is just to ensure that the event is safe for everybody that is participating to include a walk up there.”
In consideration of pedestrians who will be walking to the church from Santa Fe, Ramirez adds that SFPD’s traffic patrol will be concentrated on St. Francis Drive and Highway 84/285.
When pilgrims arrive at the church, they often wait for hours to enter and offer prayers, light candles and receive blessings before visiting its chapel, where a small, open pit of earth known as Chimayó’s “holy dirt” (or tierra bendita) is in the middle of the floor. The tierra bendita is believed to have healing properties, and pilgrims rub the dirt on their body after prayer and reflection. Some take the dirt home with them in a small bag.
To accommodate its visitors, Santuario de Chimayó will remain open throughout all of Thursday night and will not close for a night until 7 pm on Friday. At 9:30 am on Friday, the church will host a dance for its visitors, and a Good Friday procession will follow at noon.
To encourage this year’s pilgrims to stay safe, the New Mexico Department of Transportation has released safety guidelines that include:
- Walk only on designated pedestrian paths and follow posted signage.
- Wear weather-appropriate clothing, comfortable shoes, a hat, sunglasses, and layered attire.
- Wear bright, visible colors and reflective gear; avoid dark clothing.
- Carry a flashlight or glow stick for visibility at night.
- Bring sufficient water, snacks, and sunscreen.
- Walk in groups and avoid walking alone.
- Stay off roadways and medians.
- Call 911 in case of emergency.
- Inform someone of your planned route and expected arrival time.
The NMDoT also recommends pilgrims to develop a pre-planned route, check-in locations and pre-arranged pick-up and drop-off points, and to prepare for limited cell phone service depending on their wireless carriers.
route, check-in locations and pre-arranged pick-up and drop-off points, and to prepare for limited cell phone service depending on their wireless carriers.
