Cristo Negro de Esquipulas

Last weekend I had the chance to go to Esquipulas which is located at Chiquimula, Guatemala. This amazing church has a great history and I would like to share it with you:In 1595, it is said that artist Quirio Cataño carved an image of crucified Christ. The commissioners of the piece wanted an image with dark skin like themselves, but without a very dark wood available, he made a light-skinned Christ instead. The piece was stored for many years, and it is said that when it was removed from storage, the skin of the Christ (but not his clothing) had turned dark brown. Of course, other accounts claim that the statue has been colored dark over time due to candles and incense burning in the church where he is displayed. Regardless of how he became dark-skinned, Cristo Negro became the object at the center of great pilgrimages starting in 1737. During this year, the Archbishop of Guatemala visited the statue in Esquipulas and left cured of a chronic ailment. People have been traveling great distances ever since to receive the healing powers of the statue. There are plenty testimonies of his healing powers.