Central Americans make a pilgrimage to the Santo Cristo de Esquipulas guided by their faith

Every January 15, the city of Esquipulas, in Guatemala; It becomes the epicenter of one of the most significant religious festivities in Central America: the celebration in honor of the Santo Cristo Negro.

Thousands of pilgrims from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and other countries come to the Basilica of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas to pay tribute to this venerated image, ask for miracles and make promises.

“We have been devotees of the Black Christ since we can remember. We directly ask our Lord Jesus Christ for favors or requests,” he explained to the Voice of America Douglas González, one of the thousands of Guatemalan pilgrims who come every year to venerate the image.

“Each people, from all the communities of Guatemala and neighboring countries, come with that same faith and devotion,” he added.

The Black Christ, also known as the Lord of Esquipulas, was sculpted in 1594 by the artist Quirio Cataño, who created the image at the request of the ecclesiastical authorities of the time.

Since then, the figure has been the center of thousands of stories about favors granted and miracles attributed to his intercession.

The Basilica that houses this image, a majestic temple inaugurated in 1759, has become a place of constant pilgrimage.

“On January 15, what is celebrated is the transfer of the image of the parish. He was first in the parish of Esquipulas, which is older than the Basilica. When the bishops saw that the demand from the people was great and there was no room for them in the parish, they decided to make this beautiful basilica,” he explained to the VOAFreddy Guerra, resident of Esquipulas, Guatemala.

The date commemorates the completion and transfer of the image to its final home in the Basilica of Esquipulas, which marked the beginning of its fame as a sacred place.

During this celebration, the streets of Esquipulas come alive with processions, prayers and cultural activities such as serenades and parades in honor of the Holy Christ.

Some pilgrims arrive on foot, others by vehicle, and a large part of the towns surrounding the city choose to approach by horse, especially those municipalities where livestock and riding are their main source of income.

For many, devotion to the Black Christ is not only a religious event, but also a cultural manifestation that unites the people of Central America.

“Both for the Esquipultecs and for the inhabitants of Guatemala and all the towns of Central America and southern Mexico, Christ is an icon of faith in which they find hope, confidence and someone to turn to to ask and thank him,” he added. the VOARafael Murcia, Benedictine monk of the Basilica of Esquipulas.

Likewise, the festival contributes to religious tourism, benefiting the local economy with the arrival of thousands of visitors.

According to Murcia, between 50,000 and 100,000 people pass in front of the image of the Black Christ in the days before its transfer, not including those who do not manage to enter and end up staying outside the basilica.

Special visits

It is not common for the image of the Holy Black Christ of Esquipulas to be removed from its display case. However, one of the rare occasions in which this occurred was during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Esquipulas in 1996.

On that occasion, the image was placed in a prominent place in front of the Basilica where the Pontiff presided over a massive mass.

In 2009, the image was removed from its display case to be carried in a procession, allowing the faithful to commemorate the 250 anniversaries of the consecration of the Basilica of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas.

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