FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

MEXICALIA

The Miraculous Life of El Niño Fidencio

Niño Fidencio and his legendary healing abilities may not be officially recognised by the Catholic Church, but 40,000 people gather in a small Mexican village each year to celebrate the unofficial saint.

Mexico is a predominantly Catholic country. So it makes sense that official saints would be revered, but there are also a number of other, lesser-known saints beloved throughout the country. For example, Jesús Malverde is the patron saint of drug dealers, Juan Soldado is the patron saint of migrants, and Santa Muerte the saint of criminals.

One of the more popular unofficial saints is José de Jesús El Niño Fidencio Constantino Síntora, a man who earned a huge number of followers during the Mexican Revolution due to his gift of healing people. It is said that he used to perform surgery without any kind of medical equipment and caused his patients no pain. He made it so disabled people could walk again and blind people could see. He is even said to have been able to cure Mexican president Plutarco Elías Calles's leprosy.

VICE Mexico traveled to Espinazo, a little town with a population of 400 in Northern Mexico that fills up with more than 40,000 people during the annual celebration of "Niño Fidencio."