STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Peruvian community of the Wood River Valley celebrated El Senor de los Milagros, or “Lord of the Miracles,” this weekend in Ketchum.
About 50 Peruvians turned out to carry an image known as “Christ of the Miracles” through the parking lot of Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church. They led the procession with the American flag and a religious banner while playing musical instruments.
The ceremony celebrates an image of Christ that survived the devastating 1746 earthquake in Peru, which destroyed most of the city leaving only the wall on which the mural hung standing.
The image was painted during the 17th century by an African slave who lived in a colony of African slaves in an area of Lima called Pachacamilla. He had no arts education; he’s said to have created the masterpiece through divine inspiration
In Lima thousands of devotees dress in purple and parade the depiction of Christ through streets that have been decorated in purple in what is one of the largest processions in the world. The feast is a main Catholic celebration in Peru.
The mural is also known as the “Black Christ,” as it shows Christ enduring the pain of crucifixion.