Divino Niño Sanctuary

One of the settlers Mr. Francisco Quintero, tells that in time of  the Peruvian-Colombian conflict he was in compulsory military service and it was sent many soldiers to open a route using shovels. There Mr. Quintero met the lady who had placed the first image in 1932,  due to her husband had been murdered together with their son, under the stone; so she had put that image for lighting up this place.

The cars began to move in 1945 and this was deteriorating image little by little. In 1948 a driver had an accident in the old bridge made of wood, and they say that this driver entrusted himself to  the "Divino niño" (baby Jesus). The car started rolling and finally the driver reached the bottom of the abyss without any scratch. in thanksgiving he changed the image that was on the stone.

On August 27th in 1989 Ligia Contreras ordered to say the first mass there, celebrated by the priest José Luis Alzate. To this mass attended around 120 people. Since then, the masses are celebrated the first Sunday of every month. The first pilgrimage took place on the first Sunday of October in 1989.  Because of the difficult weather, two missionaries had the idea of ​​building a small chapel and without wasting any time they began to get the corresponding permissions in order to build the chapel (February 1990). The design was made by the architect Rafael Alberto Farieta (RIP), and the work was directed by the engineer Pedro Antonio Farieta Gasca. In June of 1990 and when the nine stations were completed,  the Monsignor Fabian Marulanda Lopez attended to this place bless the first stone.

The economic amount for this work, at that time, was estimated in $ 19,400,000, money that was donated by this road transporters, Caqueta missionaries and countless devotees. This temple is a beautiful union of many grains of sand, of many hands, of many hearts that allow to build a center of prayer and devotion. "El Divino Niño" Sanctuary has a capacity to receive 500 people approximately.

Source: IDCTC