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A blind man and woman make their pilgrimage to the Sanctuary during the annual festivities of the Virgin. They may have come just for the celebration or perhaps in hope of a miraculous cure. Although El Cobre is far from having the reputation and the "potency" of a major healing shrine such as Lourdes in Portugal, pilgrims do come from all over the island and even from abroad. Pilgrims come to make a fervent request or to fulfill a vow after a favor has been granted. The tradition goes back to the late 17th century.

Pilgrims now may be Christian or Santeria devotees, or simply non religious people seeking a last resort cure. A practice in this and other shrines that has seen a revival are vows associated with doing corporeal penance and requiring sacrifice such as ascending the steps to the Sanctuary on knees or any act requiring extraordinary physical exertion by the person seeking a cure or keeping a promise. Such quasi abject acts constitute extreme corporeal votive offerings. In the background, a woman visitor signals her affiliation as a Santeria devotee by dressing completely in white.

Pilgrims from the island and the US, El Cobre, 1994 Click on thumbnail to view full-size image