Holy Child of Atocha
The image that we know of the Santo Niño de Atocha is the one that is represented by the Spaniards, a boy with a brimmed hat and a pilgrim cape, a cane in his hand, a container with water, ears of wheat in his left hand and a basket to carry bread in his right hand, he also has a scallop shell on his chest and wears sandals. This representation is that of a child who goes on a pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago.
He is presented as a walker who is resting, since he was sitting in his mother's arms and later they sat him in an armchair, which is how it is venerated throughout Mexico on the day of the Epiphany. Later some lithographers considered it convenient to place the image of a dove representing the Holy Spirit on his head, and in other prints two porcelain vases can be seen.
The image of the Santo Niño de Atocha that was venerated in silversmiths spread quickly, but the pilgrimages that were made there to venerate it never found this image, since they were guided by the image of the print, so it began to be said that the child was not in the sanctuary, since he was going out to help the devotees, due to this the chaplains began to place the attributes that the child had in the print.
In this image, the child appears alone, seated in an armchair, as it was necessary to remove him from the arms of the Virgin Mary so that he could be independent and his faithful could venerate him. Little by little, they placed his clothes, walking sticks, and containers, as well as his hat, leaving the Virgin who carried him alone. They seated him in an armchair, and he has remained so until today, so that he may be venerated.
At the end of the 1850th century, oleographs began to be made, including a chromolithograph of the Holy Child of Atocha, which was absolutely beautiful. This one is still in the sanctuary, old and worn, but other editions have been made since. In Murguía, a lithographed print was found showing the Virgin Mary of Atocha holding her son in her arms, dressed as seen in the lithograph. This is the one venerated in Zacatecas since XNUMX. Over time, the cult shifted to only the holy child, and the image of Mary carrying him in her arms began to be forgotten.
At the beginning of the 1903th century, between 1919 and XNUMX, the Josephine fathers were in charge of the sanctuary and began to spread the true image of the holy child, but that image of the child dressed in blue and in the arms of Mary has not been found even in Spain. not in Mexico.
History
The story of the Santo Niño de Atocha is that of the baby Jesus in the arms of the Virgin Mary, according to historical facts the Moors had imprisoned many Christians when they invaded a part of Spain, including the city of Atocha. These prisoners could not have visits from anyone, except small children who were the ones who could bring him water and a little food. Legend has it that then the Child Jesus decided to be part of his company in those moments of tribulation to be part of his comfort and bring them food.
From there it was taken to make his representation as a pilgrim child of huaraches, with the arrival of the Spaniards to America, they brought with them their devotion, many European workers went to Plateros, a region that was being born as rich in silver ore, taking with them your image. He is the saint of the miners who are trapped inside a mine, and for this reason many miracles are attributed to him, for which his devotees have grown throughout the world.
In Mexico
The arrival of the image of the Holy Child of Atocha to this country is uncertain. The newspaper "El Peregrino de Atocha," published in Plateros, reported that the Josephite Fathers in charge of the care of its sanctuary also lacked knowledge of its history or the date of its cult. This has been the subject of much research, but no records have ever been found indicating its arrival in Mexico.
We can find a book of Novena and Triduum dedicated to the Miraculous Child of Atocha, of which the number of editions is unknown. This small book includes prayers, praises, verses, and accounts of his many miracles. It is also interesting to learn about the prayer to the Holy Child of Atocha , which contains a series of petitions and expressions of gratitude offered by devotees.
And although other novenas and prayer methods are often published, these have been discontinued because their devotees only follow the traditional prayer. This ancient pamphlet is a testament to this devotion and was written by a person who received a miracle of healing from the Holy Child of Atocha.
Questions have been asked about this image about why it was taken from the arms of the Virgin Mary, because devotion is made to him alone but when he is invoked his mother is mentioned, if he was a small child because he is represented as if he were bigger and also because he is sitting in an armchair with a pilgrim attire. Another question that arises is what is his relationship with the image of the Blue Boy, since both are known by the same name.
The Blue Child is dressed in a smaller cape and a cape with a lace collar, where the scallop shell can be seen, these implements are not in the image of the Child of Atocha, who also does not carry in his clenched hands the handful of ears of wheat, the basket of the blue child is on the left and in the child of Atocha it is on the right, the same happens with the cane or staff that are in different hands.
The lithographs of the XNUMXth century represented the Blue Boy as the one venerated in Silversmiths, and there is no indication that another similar image existed in this sanctuary, or that there was another image of him being venerated in another temple, in fact, there was not one even in the Basilica of Atocha in Madrid.
But it is only worth mentioning that in the sanctuary of Plateros, in Mexico, at the bottom of a large Christ that is in the temple, a small niche was carved in a pinkish quarry where you can see the image of a child Jesus who is highly venerated and was given the name of the Holy Child of Atocha.
The Sanctuary
The sanctuary found in Plateros was completed 200 years ago, in a popular late baroque architecture. The closing dates of its constructions date back to April 1 and May 11, 1790. It had some gold-colored collaterals that by the year 1875 had already disappeared and neoclassicist style altarpieces were placed with some Gothic details, they were made with chisel by Don José Rosas Montaño.
Its spectacularly beautiful façade has a Lord of the Silversmiths as its central figure and its nave arches are decorated with various figures of the Passion of Christ, in honor of the person who erected this building. The image of the crucified Jesus was made of roughly carved wood, his eyes were painted on flat glass, in a general work that dates from the XNUMXth century, although the plate that is on the cross dates from the XNUMXth century.
Besides, you can find the so-called assassin's stone that is found on a pedestal inside the inner courtyard of the sanctuary, to which it has been the object of devotion that can be evidenced in many documents that are found in the archives of the Cathedral of Guadalajara, of the Bishopric of Zacatecas and that of the Parroquia de la Purificación de Fresnillo. As a result of the fact that the worship that was done in the church was increasing, it was what caused the construction of a new, larger chapel.
In the year 1882, Bishop Don José María from the Guerra y Alva shelter visited the sanctuary and saw that there were many votes in the altarpieces that were on the walls, being a sign of how the faithful appreciated the favors they had received, so ordered that a new construction of a Hall of Altarpieces be made.
The cult of the Lord of Plateros continued to grow, and in July 1883, the priest Dámaso Martínez ordered the construction of a new semi-octagonal altarpiece behind the main altar, and a new sacristy was also required. In 1892, documentation began to be kept detailing the devotion to the Holy Child of Santa María de Atocha.
It was the Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo who donated the 25th century Sanctuary, with a virgin of the Santi Virgen Madre de Dios like the one venerated in the city of Atocha in Madrid, although there is no resemblance between them. For the festival of December XNUMX, the Christ nailed to the cross began to be carried to the child Jesus, the image was kissed with love on Christmas Eve and it was removed from the arms of the mother.
The First Testimonials
Of the many testimonies, all of which were documented and are archived, in good custody, about the miracles of the Holy Child of Atocha, we have the following at hand:
A landowner once said that he couldn't find field workers to harvest his wheat until a young man named Manuel de Atocha mysteriously appeared and helped him do the harvesting. Miraculously, the entire harvest was harvested, and later this landowner commissioned some golden ears of wheat to be placed in the hands of the Holy Child in the church.
A woman named Maximina Esparza, was released from Durango prison, accused of indecent behavior and prostitution, indicated that there was a very formal young man, who came before the judge to take his case, said he was the Son of María de Atocha who lived in Fresnillo. The woman was released as the prosecution had no convincing evidence.
In the year 1831, on a ranch in New Mexico called Potrero de Chimayó, lived Don Severiano Medina, who was paralyzed due to severe arthritis. Upon hearing the news of the devotion in Fresnillo to a Child Manuel de Atocha, he entrusted himself to him and began to heal miraculously. He made a trip on a donkey to Plateros to thank him, took an image of the Child and built a chapel in his pasture, where he can still be found.
In 1841, Don Calixto Aguirre was found in the city of Guanajuato with incurable cancer. The disease had caused deformities, severe pain, and discomfort. His doctor was already afraid of what he was suffering. In the midst of his pain, he prayed to the Holy Child of Atocha and placed his heart in his hands. He promised that if he was cured, he would compose a novena of his own to take to the child's shrine. He was miraculously cured and wrote down what he had promised the child. This novena and prayers are the ones used today.
Many people came to state that the child had been seen in many places, some of them very far away, so he was dressed as a pilgrim, with a feathered felt hat, a staff with a cup to stock up on water, sandals on his feet. , a basket with grapes and on the left the golden spikes, lithographs were ordered to be made in Mexico City and the engravers invented an image that did not look anything like the portrait of the child who was in the arms of the Santa María de Atocha, for it was lowered from the arms of Mary.
On November 6, 1837, María Eleuteria García, who was standing at the door of her home, was stabbed. No one knows who did it; her wounds were fatal, as they were on her chest and face. Her friend Catalina Rivera invoked the Holy Child of Atocha, asking him not to let her die without receiving spiritual help and extreme unction. She did not die, but was healed and lived for many more years.
As other interesting facts we can tell you that it was used as an amulet by the deceased drug trafficker Pablo Escobar Gaviria, according to many publications of the time, he was a practicing Catholic and devoted to the Santo Niño de Atocha, in honor of him when he built the neighborhood that bears his name, he ordered to put up a great altar in honor of the child, where today not only the holy child is worshiped but also Pablo Escobar. This devotion of Escobar is inherited from his mother Doña Hermilda, a Catholic believer and devotee of the child and the virgin.
In the same way when the son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was arrested, Ovidio Guzmán was wearing an amulet of the Santo Niño de Atocha around his neck at the time of the arrest. This saint is highly venerated not only in Zacatecas, but also in Chiapas, Aguascalientes and San Luis de Potosí, where there are beautiful churches in his honor, and in all of them the child is seen with the same style of pilgrim clothing, with his hat , cape, cane, and water and bread containers.
What do the Symbols of the Holy Child of Atocha mean?
The clothes that the Santo Niño de Atocha wears, comes from a Spanish tradition, when the Moors invade a part of Spain, specifically the city of Atocha, and many Christians are taken as prisoners, they did not receive visits from any person, not even a priest to give them comfort, and they also had no food or water supply. According to what the legend says, a boy began to bring water and bread to the prisoners, he blessed them and they were able to eat until they were full, but when they see the basket that the boy was carrying, it was still full of bread.
From there comes the Spanish pilgrim tradition of going to the shrines of the Holy Child of Atocha, and taking the child a pair of shoes, since his shoes wore out when he made visits at night to bring food to the prisoners. Another legend says that the wear on his shoes is because every night he leaves his chair to go out and heal the sick.
His clothing is a symbol of pilgrims seeking to complete the so-called Camino de Santiago. The basket represents food, and the staff with the cup ensures that water is never lacking. His miracles are many; in fact, there is a special room for votive offerings, filled with many walking sticks, orthopedic devices, and crutches left behind by their owners, who have been able to walk again thanks to the Holy Child of Atocha.
One of the prayers that has this invocation of the child Jesus, and which is the most popular since it has proven to be miraculous, the Holy Child of Atocha knows all the mysteries and is very skillful when it comes to granting the miracles that are requested. , can also help us find safe paths where we can go calmly full of confidence and security. You can make this prayer so that your paths open up, that your finances increase, help you with your studies, with your family or to help you achieve what you most want in this world.
Merciful and Holy Child of Atocha! Today I stand before you to express the immensity of my love for you and how much I need you. I wish that you could turn your gaze toward where I am so that you can see that I am in a state of despair and affliction that floods my soul, that has made me sick and demoralized me. I have tried to do everything I could, but the problems and difficulties I have are delicate and I have not been able to find a solution through my own means.
I know that you are very miraculous and that is why I ask you to never abandon me, that you can give me your help and assistance, today I urgently ask you to comfort me and help me to move forward, since you are the Wise and Holy Child of Atocha, who can protect all men and protect those most in need, and be the healer of any disease.
Holy Child of Atocha Mighty today I greet you, I give you praise, I glorify you and for that I am going to make you three prayers of Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory, in honor of this work you have done since you were incarnated in the purity of the womb of the sweet and kind Virgin Mary, and in her hard journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, to our days where you continue to lend your help and give your blessings.
By the immense faith and love that I have in you, I ask you to listen to my prayers and my supplications, I have great confidence in you, which I place in your hands and I ask you to grant me what I am asking you with great humility: (make your request here). My love for you is above all the material things that I have, and that is why I want to praise you all the time, just as the court of Cherubim and Seraphim do, which were the perfect ornaments that our Creator God has made, so that they may see his face and to whom he has dedicated the care of the children.
Today, my beautiful Holy Child of Atocha, I hope you can give me a good answer to what I ask and pray for. I know that at your side I will never be disconsolate and that you will know how to give me a peaceful death, and thus be your most faithful companion when you are in the glory of Bethlehem. Amen.
If you wish to ask for protection, you can perform this other prayer, which is also very miraculous, as it has been done for many people. He may not appear as a child, but he will perform the miracle, as he always comes when called, especially when done with faith and devotion.
Wise Child Jesus of Atocha! You who are the general protector of all human beings, under your protection we take shelter and place all those people who are in moments of need and danger, since you are the one who takes care of them all. Powerful Child of Atocha, today I greet you, and I fill you with praise, today through these prayers, for all the work you did, from your mother's womb, on this day I ask you to grant me what I need today (make your request for protection).
I know that at this moment, I am certain that you will be the one who helps and protects (name the person) so that they can move forward, so that nothing hurts them, and so that they can find the path to health, protection, and well-being. And I know that when the time comes, death will be good, as it will take them by your side so that you may always keep each other company. Amen.
Make your request again and finish praying three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys and three Glories.
Remember that everything you ask with faith and devotion to the saints, they will respond favorably, the power of prayer is very great, if we have faith in it, if you do it without any motivation it will not have the effect you want , believe in God, in Jesus, in the Virgin Mary and do not stop believing in the Holy Child of Atocha.
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