THE MAILIN'S LORD OF THE MIRACLES

The village of Mailín is situated at 160 km. from the capital city. There every year, for the celebration of Lord Assumption ,  40 days after Easter,  people from the whole country and from neighbouring countries come in order to  render worship to the Lord of the Miracles. 

The tradition says that the image was found towards the end of the XVIII century by an old man named Juan Serrano who owned the fields. Serrano noticed that a very bright light appeared night after night at the foot of a carob-bean tree. It was a great surprise when they found that that light radiated from a cross where  the body of crucified Christ was marked . They tried to transfer the cross to  Serrano's house, but they were unable to move it. 

They built a hermitage there and today there is a sanctuary where people from all walks of life and cultures come every year to make or renew a vow.

The days building up to the celebration there are marquees and tents put up that will stay there until the end of the celebrations. 

Groups of pilgrims that leave their houses walking or on bicycle from the capital city arrive tired but also with great joy and happiness. On Saturday night, they sing  the serenade to the Lord. Different kind of musical groups , especially folk, play their music and sing in order to pay homage to the Lord.
During the whole night the sanctuary is visited by faithful people, who in endless lines hope to be able to arrive in front of the image and present their requests. On Sunday the Mass and the procession take place with the presence of the Bishop. And that is how the celebration ends...
Until the next year when people come again to make requests or to give thanks for something asked for that has been granted and worshipped as "causayniycu" that is in Quichua language: "our being, our protection, our God."

Liliana Gerez Lopez
Teacher of Blind Students
Santiago del Estero, Argentina -