Tuesday 29 January 2008
On the outskirts of the town of Mercedes, in northern Argentina, there is a shrine to a man named Antonio Mamerto Gil Núñez, or Gauchito Gil to his friends. The stories about who he was vary, but most agree that he was a gaucho in the 1870's who was conscripted into the army but deserted rather than fight in the war (either the Argentine Civil War or the War of the Triple Alliance between Argentina, Brasil, and Paraguay). He was going to be put to death for this crime, when he told the commissary that the commissary's son was dying, and that if he prayed for him in the name of Gauchito Gil, he would get better. The commissary killed him anyway, cutting his throat and hanging him upside down from a tree. (Which dyed his white poncho red, making red the color of Gauchito Gil.) But, of course, the commissary prayed in his name and his son was miraculously cured.
A shrine was built at his execution site, and now thousands flock there every year to ask favors and give thanks. He is one of the "profane saints," of which there are a few in Argentina, which are well-loved and oft-called upon by the Argentine public, but not recongized by the church. The devotion of the people was very clear at this shrine. There were millions of plaques thanking Gauchito Gil for services rendered, miracles performed, thousands of car license plates thanking him for granting people cars (which begs the question - are there thousands of cars driving around without plates? or is the local registration office constantly giving out new plates?), hundreds of baby pictures, and a whole building full of wedding dresses and football jerseys, given in thanks for men and games won. It was really an amazing place, a shrine the likes of which I have never seen before.
