PURPLE MONTH

LORD OF THE MIRACLES

All of October - principal days 18th, 19th & October 28th. This procession gathers
together the largest number of believers in South America. Its' origins lie in
colonial times, when a slave, brought over from Angola, drew the image of a
black Christ on the walls of a wretched hut at the Pachacamilla plantation, near

Lima. The image stayed on the wall despite several attempts to erase it.

The image survived intact on the wall despite an earthquake in 1746 which
leveled all surrounding buildings. As a result of this event, worship of the image
rose to new heights, until it became the most widely venerated image in the city
of Lima. The principal day of the celebration of the Lord of the Miracles is 28th

October, the anniversary of the 1746 earthquake.

The procession in Lima is one of the largest annual processions in all of the
Americas, where tens of thousands of the faithful dress in purple tunics, sing
hymns and pray as they accompany the image. The litter which bears the
painting weighs two tons and is borne on the shoulders of believers who set out
on the traditional 24-hour procession from the church of Las Nazarenas,
crossing downtown Lima until it reaches the church of La Merced in Barrios
Altos. Around this time of year, the streets fill with vendors of a wide variety of

typical dishes and sweets, such as the famous Turrón de Doña Pepa.