Curandero Project

The shrine is located off a solitary ranch road in Falfurrias, Texas, a town of about 4,500 people. Don Pedrito was active as a folk healer in the area from 1881 to 1907 approximately. Falfurrias is located in South Texas, an area historically connected with with Mexico and Spain.

From the early fifteenth hundreds to 1821, most of Texas was claimed by Spain as part of its territories. When Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821 most of Texas became part of Mexico. In 1848, South Texas ceased to be part of Mexico and the border was established at the Rio Grande.

Don Pedrito was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and moved to Falfurrias where he made a lasting impact in the community as a folk healer and spiritual leader.

Inside the shire, there is wall space dedicated to posting photos of loved ones. People have even posted items like sandals and hair strands to the wall. People petition for healing miracles by pinning such items along with handwritten notes.

I was greeted by a calico cat that roamed the place and seemed to approach every visitor. The cat came in and out of the shrine through a window with a broken mosquito net. She walked confidently on every part of the site with a guardian posture.

About 6 people visited the site when I was there. One woman brought 12 candles for each of her family members. She said that she came to pray for each of them.

There are candles with Don Pedrito Jaramillo’s image that people bring to the shrine. I also saw candles bearing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, San Judas Tadeo, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. People pray for miracles, ask for protection, offer gratitude and light the candles.

Hand painted on the front door is the message gracias por su vesita which means thank you for your visit in Spanish. The word vesita is a slight variation of the more widespread, contemporary word visita. This suggests the presence of an old dialect of Spanish which evolved separately from the mainstream Mexican Spanish.

You can find bilingual ads on the gift shop’s wall interweaving Spanish and English. The particular style and color of the letters is common in Mexican family run stores. The gift shop, which I believe is now closed to the public advertises religious candles, incense, medicinal herbs, books, prayers and miracles.

There is also a burial site for the decedents of Don Pedro Jaramillo. The site is called the Jaramillo Family Cemetery.