The Lord of Miracles: Peru's Purple Month

The Lord of Miracles march took place this weekend, as it does every October. A total of five marches will be held in the centre of Lima, the first having been this Saturday, the 7th of October 2017. This procession has become one of the most popular in Peru due to the huge numbers that attend. The capital city begins to cover itself in purple - the colour associated with these festivities - people dress in this colour, some even go to work and walk around the streets all in purple.

The Lord of Miracles of Nazarene, most commonly known as the Lord of Miracles, is an image of Jesus Christ originally painted on an adobe wall. It is worshipped in Lima and across the world. It is located behind the High Altar of The Nazarenes of Lima sanctuary. The image was painted during the 17th century by a slave from Angola who had been taken to Peru. The Lord of Miracles is the main Catholic celebration in Peru and is one of the biggest processions in the world.

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The Holy Image of the Lord of Miracles

Many streets in the historic city of Lima are closed for the Lord of Miracles festivities, making it a little difficult to get to when it's going on. The congestion is due to Lima's narrow roads, so although they often put preventative measures in place, it's usually inevitable.

The main church the holy image comes from is the Church of the Nazarenes, which is on a corner in the middle of Avenida Tacna. I recommend you go there so you can be closest to the image when it passes through different points in the city centre, as well as part of the Rimac district.

During October people consume traditional Limean products, for example El Turrón de Doña Pepa (Mrs Pepa's nougat) which is sold in huge quantities in the centre of Lima. One of the most well-known brands is called "San Jose", or, if you have time you can go to the Plaza San Martín, where in one of its entrances there's a Mrs Pepa nougat shop said to be the best in Lima. Something to note is that when you visit this shop, you'll find men in charge making sure to cut you a large portion of nougat.

Now that we're in 2017 it's hard to fully appreciate the profound relationship the city of Lima has with the Lord of Miracles, an image which dates back to colonial times and still thrives today, that was passed through generations so it could still be worshipped by believers. Millions worship it because it survived several earthquakes. Coincidentally, October is associated with the month of tremors, because historically the earthquakes around this time are catastrophes. One of the most destructive took place in 1746.

The song of the Lord of Miracles

Lord of Miracles, we come to You in procession

your faithful disciples, to implore your blessing. (repeat)

Lighthouse which guides, feeds our souls

faith, hope, charity,

your divine love illuminates us,

makes us worthy of your goodness.

Lord of Miracles, we come to You in procession,

your faithful disciples, to implore your blessing. (repeat)

With the great stride of a Christian

we will make our Peru great,

and together united as a force

we beg that you give us your light.

Lord of Miracles, we come to You in procession

your faithful disciple, to implore your blessing. (repeat)

Reflecting on the earthquake and its relation to this time of the year

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Recently, news that Mexico City experienced a horrific earthquake shook the world. The quake struck the city a couple of weeks ago and caused citizens elsewhere on the continent to realise what must be done to prevent such disasters.

As hard as it is, I have to tell you that the city of Lima still does not seem prepared for an earthquake of such magnitude, and if one similar to Mexico's happened in Lima it would be calamitous for the city, potentially taking thousands and thousands of lives. For this reason, it would be great if the authorities could think of ways to confront this suppressed problem, as well as raising awareness among citizens about the best way to prepare for such natural disasters which will happen sooner or later. It's not that I want to be alarmist but it's been many years since there's been an earthquake in Lima, so we can't have the false belief that it will never happen again. We have to be prepared and the best way is to construct our houses in an optimal fashion and participation in earthquake drills developed in education centres and work places, so that people can learn the evacuation routine.

All this depends therefore on the participation of every Peruvian and their commitment to the national situation. So let's hope that the city of Lima's situation changes for the better, and that its people can start developing action plans to confront this inevitable natural disaster, which could come at any moment.

The Lord of Miracles therefore brings about conversations that go far beyond simply religious issues. As we're coming to realise, talking about the Lord of Miracles is also about discussing the situations related to these beliefs and never forgetting the difficult moments faced by the city of Lima and its residents. Even people outside the city of Lima have developed a connection with the image of the Lord of Miracles, so much so that nowadays there are meeting places in cities outside of Lima to celebrate the religious festivities, in Peru and throughout the world. Of course, these celebrations take place in communities with strong Peruvian links such as Argentina, Chile, Spain and Italy among others.

The Lord of Miracles is a principal example of something which can help us understand just how connected the world is, not only in a religious sense, but also in terms of communities and their connection to the past. It helps us understand the concept of a future and making our mark in life. The Lord of Miracles is here in Lima and is worshipped all over the world.

The Lord of Miracles makes dreams come true the month of October

The month of October is also a time to make a wish, to ask that the impossible be made possible. It's also a month wherein people believe that a brighter future is around the corner for everyone, for every community and organisation. Even for all the countries which are developing new motivational spaces for people to believe in and cling on to their dreams.

In the midst of the World Cup fever and the qualification of the Peruvian national team for Russia 2018, one of these dreams is coming to life. This Tuesday, the 10th of October, they'll play one of the team's key matches, for which many people will go to the sacred image to pray that one of the greatest Peruvian dreams may come true: to once more see Peru in the World Cup after nearly three decades, which some generations have never seen.

I am one of those who have never seen it, and it's amazing that I could live and enjoy this experience. Despite not being a huge football fan, I can't deny that I hope Peru will qualify for the Cup, and that we 31 million Peruvians who dream to be part of a new generations of fighters, can be gifted the honour.

A season for eating until you can't eat anymore

When touring the Lord of Miracles one will also find a mixture of amazing scents coming from the trucks which you will definitely encounter on these celebratory nights. You'll undoubtedly find people selling the most famous dishes around this time. I'm talking about tasty kebabs made with cow's heart, seasoned with various condiments which give off amazing, spectacular odours to the senses. The hands which prepare these delicious dishes are of undoubted influence, since it's very common to see the ladies meeting in the streets with their corn leaves to fry up these delicious things, making people drool at the thought of eating any of their products. It's also just amazing to sit on these simple benches and to feel part of this collective every month of October for the Lord of Miracles.

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For those with a sweeter tooth, don't hesitate to try the delicious Mrs Pepa nougat that I mentioned at the start of this post. You'll also find tasty dishes in Chabuca Granda Plaza such as the succulent purple rice pudding with milk, one of the most amazing desserts you'll find in Lima, and one which the majority of Peruvians love to eat this month and at other special times during the year. This is one of the desserts I've always enjoyed, not only during the Lord of Miracles month but also because it was very common when I was young to find it on the table at birthday parties, so it's one of those dishes that connects me with the city of Lima. However, now that I think about it, there are some other dishes which were of equal importance, such as the traditional 'picarones', which the rest of the world would probably call doughnuts. These doughnuts are in the shape of a ring and are made with a delicious dough which makes you eat without stopping. It's also sweet and crunchy and you can generally find them during the night. So, if you come to the centre of Lima, don't forget to go and get some traditional desserts, such as the doughnuts, Mrs Pepa nougat and/or a good helping of purple rice pudding.

A summary of more than a religious festival

Considering everything I've discussed in this post, we can see that the Lord of Miracles celebration goes far beyond a simple procession or one's connection to God. I don't think you have to have religious beliefs to participate in the celebration, because today it represents the wonderful feelings that Limeans have for this sacred image. I've asked myself a lot what the city of Lima would be without its Lord of Miracles and its patron saints such as Saint Rosa of Lima or Saint Martin of Porres. We can't deny that Lima is an extremely Catholic city, but amongst it all different religious groups are emerging such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, among others.

In this post, instead of historical facts and figures, I wanted to focus more on expressing my views and feelings about this event that I would have liked to participate in last Saturday; to be able to celebrate and take photos to share with you and see the number of people that arrive in the city centre to visit or revisit the Lord of Miracles. So, I really recommend you take the leap and visit the city during this time of year to see the scheduled tours of the patron saint with whom many Peruvians identify today.

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I wish you all a great day this Sunday and thank you so much for reading this post, which I hope you enjoyed. I'm sure that this celebration will endure until Lima's last days due to the strong roots it has had since its conception until today. Sending good vibes to each and every one of you and let's cross our fingers that the Lord of Miracles will grant us the miracle of Peru in the World Cup!

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