El Cristo Roto

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El Cristo Roto

An amazing statue of Christ is found on an island in the pueblo of San Jose de Gracia, an extremely popular pilgrimage site. Boats are kept busy daily ferrying all the visitors who come here.

El Cristo Roto is an 82 foot tall concrete and steel sculpture, crafted by Miguel Romo. It has been on this site since 2006.

Note that the statue is missing an arm and a leg. This represents the troubled history when the area had extensive flooding and most of the population left. Originally inhabited by the Chichimecas, fighting took place during the Cristero War. When the Plutarco Elias Calles dam was constructed in the 1920s, the majority of inhabitants fled to the shores of the newly formed lake that had resulted from the flooding and the town of San Jose de Gracia was founded.

Romo was also influenced by the folklore at the time. The story was that a priest found a broken crucifix and vowed to have it fixed. However the crucifix spoke to him, saying that it was a symbol of those who feel broken or lost.

The statue is considered to be the savior of lost causes. It has also been the sight of faith healings.

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