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Sotaquí’s Infant Jesus

Hundreds of devotees from all round the country go on a pilgrimage to the District of Sotaquí every year to give thanks and ask for favors from infant Jesus. The dancing brotherhoods take hold of the scene as they pay tribute to the image of Jesus. A ritual to be witnessed.

We were in Ovalle on January 6, Twelfth Night, when God reveals Himself to the world with the arrival of the Wise Men in Bethlehem. The day and the place had not been chosen by chance. Just like other thousands of people, we set out towards Sotaquí, a fertile village on the Northern bank of the Grande River, about 11 kilometers from the capital of the Province of Limarí.
Traffic moved slowly along Route D 55. Buses crowded with faith and hope began to circulate along the narrow road. The point is that in this small district, hundreds of devotees gather to celebrate the most important religious festivals in Chile, the commemoration of the finding of an image that represents Infant Jesus, found in Los Naranjos Ravine, near Sotaquí, in the XIXth century.

It seems that in the early 1800s, an old lady called Antonia Pizarro lived in this town. Nicknamed “La Naranjo”, she was a very pious lady an she was very popular as a doctor or healer that used to work with herbs and other natural medicines. One day, when she was visiting a patient at estancia “El Romeral”, near the Hurtado River, she spotted two children herding goats. When she approached them, she saw they were playing with a third child, who was almost naked. This third child was the statue of Infant Jesus, which strangely appeared in that spot. Doña Antonia took the image home in order to worship it. The Infant became a miraculous protector of the village and His fame soon spread all around the province.

Ever since, His followers have come to Him to ask for a favor or give thanks for the help they received from the image of the Divine Child. As time passed, an altar was built for the image and then the statue was handed in to the Sotaquí church. A solemn procession took it to the parish.
Pilgrims from all over the country assemble here year after year. Some of them beg for their families, for a job or the health of the ill. The murmur of praying takes hold of the scene. Others give thanks, feel thrilled or smile at the image.
The statue of Infant Jesus is made of wood and is forty centimeters tall. It has open arms and it holds a world represented by a silver sphere in its right hand and a heart cut out in the same material in the left one.
The ecclessiastical authorities raised a parish under the name of the Holy Sacrament, which is one of the most ancient dioceses in La Serena, and they set forth that this homage to Infant Jesus be celebrated on January 6, 7 and 8 every year.

Spirituality is in the air. The Holy Mass is celebrated in the street opposite the church. Afterwards, the image of Infant Jesus is taken to the avocado orchard, near the main square, so that it may be worshipped by the devotees, who seem to invade the Streets of Sotaquí.
Religious dancing is part of the celebration. Some deacons, seminarists and acolytes are in charge of guiding the devotees in their praying and singing and they control the large number of dancing brotherhoods arriving to pay tribute to the precious image of Infant Jesus. Lit candles and bright faces are seen everywhere during the festival.
When the night falls, Infant Jesus starts His journey back to the church in a procession escorted by the dancers, the pilgrims and the devotees in an atmosphere of singing, dancing and joy. The celebration finishes the following day. A time and place to bear in mind.

See also: Hotels in Ovalle and other accommodation venues