The Lord of Miracles (), also known as Christ of Miracles, is a
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
title of
Jesus Christ
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
that is associated with a painting of Christ crucified venerated in
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
,
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. The image was painted during the 17th century by Benito or Pedro Dalcon, an African taken from what is now
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
to Peru as a slave. An annual procession commemorating the image occurs every October. It is one of the oldest Catholic traditions in Peru. It is one of the largest religious
procession
A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner.
History
Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
s in the world.
Description of the Image
Jesus Christ is depicted on the cross, with the
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...
and
God the Father
God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first Person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, Jesus Christ the Son, and the third person, God th ...
above. On the left is the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
, and on the right is
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...
.
Its name originated in the 17 and 18th centuries, after earthquakes in 1655, 1687, and 1746 destroyed most of the city, leaving only the mural standing. This is considered a miraculous occurrence by many living there. What began as an Afro-Peruvian tradition was increasingly adopted by the Creole middle class in the 18th century after the third earthquake, which destroyed the city of Lima and much of the coast what is now the department of Lima and its provinces from Chancay to Canete.
Veneration
Every year in October, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all walks of life participate in a religious procession honoring the image through the streets of downtown Lima.
The predominant color for the procession and the habits are purple with white rope. The procession route circles downtown Lima and takes approximately 20 hours to complete.
In the main plaza of Lima, the image is honored in three different building sharing the same square, by The President of Peru, The mayor of Lima, and the Archbishop of Lima in their respective buildings. Prior to this, The National Congress and Federico Villarreal National University honor the procession. On its path, people release purple and white balloons and throw flowers.
In Peru, the month of October is known as the purple month due to the colors of the procession. There are seasonal delicious sweets like mazamorra morada ("purple pudding") and "
Turrón de Doña Pepa" that are very traditional for October traditions related to the history of the procession.
"The Fair of The Lord of The Miracles" is a celebration of bullfights since 1946, gathering the best bullfighters of the world, the months of October, November, and the first days of December, competing for "The Golden and Silver Scapulars of The Lord of the Miracles," taking place in Acho bullring in Lima.
See also
*
Lord of Miracles of Buga
References
External links
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS4QAYkqUy8
* http://limacitykings.com/senor-milagros/
* https://www.peruhop.com/senor-de-los-milagros/
* https://www.americatv.com.pe/noticias/actualidad/senor-milagros-conoce-desvios-18-y-19-octubre-recorrido-procesional-n392198?ref=irela
* {{in lang, es}
''Pachacamac y el Señor de los Milagros: una trayectoria milenaria''by
Maria Rostworowski
Catholic Church in Peru
Lima
Festivals in Peru