Built
by a private individual in 1816 so that local people could
worship. Preservationists bought it and handed it over to the
Archdiocese of Santa Fe, in 1929. The chapel is now managed by the
Archdiocese as a Catholic church. For its reputation as a healing site
(believers claim that dirt from a back room of the church can heal
physical and spiritual ills), it has become known as the "Lourdes of
America," and attracts close to 300,000 visitors a year, including up
to 30,000 during Holy Week (the week prior to Easter). The
sanctuary was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
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