Maria Milagros
Acrylic and collage on paper, 24" x 30"
 
Milagro is Spanish for “miracle”. In Mexico and many other Latin American countries, the faithful believe that appealing to the saints can grant blessings and miracles. If you ask a particular saint for a favor or miracle and it is granted, you make a special pilgrimage to thank said saint and to place a tiny “milagro” on his or her garment or leave it at the saint’s shrine. The little metal ornament usually depicts some aspect of the miracle granted, such as an eye for successful eye surgery or a leg for saving it from amputation. It is not unusual to visit a saint’s shrine in Mexico and find thousands of these milagros pinned to it’s robes and garments. I have collected these trinkets through the years. They keep me connected to the miracle of human faith.