The story of the image goes like this: in 1651 an Angolan slave painted a picture of a colored Jesus Christ crucified on a wall. Four years later on Nov13, 1655, an earthquake struck Lima. It leveled most of the city, but that image of Jesus was undamaged. It's believed that this image has been the occasion of many miracles. People believe that the closer they get to the image, the better chance of getting their miracle granted.
Since the 18th century a religious brotherhood has arrange annual processions in the honor of the Lord of the Miracles in the month of October, during which male devotees organized in squads, carry the icon through the streets of central Lima. Currently, there exist 20 such squads in Lima, each squad covers about 300 yards of the procession. In addition to the bearers there are: sahumadoras (women who carry large censers ahead of the procession), musicians and singers, a cerero who attends to candles placed on the litter, a mixturero who tends flowers on the litter, and of course vendors offering all manner of refreshments and religious articles.

Last year, on October 2001, the image of the Lord of the Miracles was celebrating 350 years faith and tradition; this was the year I went to Lima to document the procession and see for the first time the overwhelming faith of the Peruvian people. I am planning to return several more times to complete this body of work.