We lived in San Jose, Costa Rica for five and one half years: the longest I have ever stayed in one city and one country in my entire life. One of my favorite places to take visitors was Cartago, a city surrounded by mountains.
In the center of the city lays the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles. As the story went, in 1635 an indigenous woman found a small statue of the Virgin Mary on the site of today’s church. She took it home but it kept disappearing and reappearing in the spot she had discovered it. This ‘miracle’ began the construction of the extravagant white basilica.
Today, the statue resides on an altar inside the church.
Thousands of people throughout the years have claimed healing by this small black statue, name La Negrita and she is now Costa Rica’s patron saint.
Because of her ‘healing powers’, devotees began a tradition in the 17th Century that carries on to this day. Every August 1, half of Costa Rica drops to their knees or puts on their walking boots and begin the pilgrimage to Cartago. Once they reach the town, they all drop down to walk on their knees to the basilica, often leaving behind a trail of blood.
On any given day, when visiting the basilica, you will find the faithful followers drop to their knees at the door and crawl inside to pray.
In one small room off the side of the beautiful and intricate church, there are thousands of tiny gold charms n the shape of body parts that have been healed over the years. I don't believe in the healing powers of La Negrita. But I ask myself: is there anything I believe in enough, to crawl sixty miles on my knees to worship. Would I bear the rain, the rocky roads, the pain to walk on my knees for that long? Do I even stay on my knees in prayer for an hour? It is not I believe their love and devotion to La Negrita is more than my love and devotion for Christ. I am just thinking of their desire to sacrifice their comfort for that period of time. I sacrificed my time to walk in the mountains, praising God for His marvelous creation. I sacrificed a weekend of my life to drive with fun friends to sit on stadium seats to hear Beth Moore. But, I've never spent a whole day on my knees.