Day Trips
The faithful and the curious make the trek to the shrine of faith healer Don Pedrito Jaramillo just east of Falfurrias
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., Oct. 28, 2005
The Shrine of Don Pedrito Jaramillo east of Falfurrias still attracts hundreds of the faithful and the curious every year almost 100 years after the death of the Mexican curandero. On the walls of the small chapel that houses his grave are photographs of the souls petitioning his blessing and crutches left by those he has helped. The prayers on slips of paper tacked to the cracked wall are signed by visitors from around the world.
The legend of the faith healer originated in the South Texas ranch land where money to pay doctors was hard to come by and members of the medical profession even more scarce. Don Pedrito is quoted as saying, "I can help you if you believe in me, but if you don't believe in me, you had best go elsewhere." James Michener is said to have visited the shrine while researching a book on Texas history.
Don Pedrito's cures were most likely to include mud packs, local plants, and drinking large quantities of water, although tequila and red wine were also favorite ingredients. He never charged for his remedies, yet more than $5,000 in 50-cent pieces were found in his hut when he died in 1907.
Born of Indian parents near Guadalajara, Mexico, around 1829, Don Pedrito pledged to leave his homeland if God did not heal his ailing mother. When she died of her illness he moved to the Los Olmos Ranch in 1881.
While working as a cowboy, the legend says, he fell from his horse and broke his nose. To relieve the burning of his injury, Don Pedrito buried his face in the cool mud of a pond. The remedy worked, but he was left with a large scar across the bridge of his nose.
As the pain of his broken nose finally subsided, the Mexican laborer fell into a deep sleep for the first time in many days. During a dream, Don Pedrito was told he had the gift to heal people.
At first he treated just the sick and injured on the surrounding ranches. As his fame spread, he traveled the entire region visiting the sick. Once, while visiting San Antonio, he attracted such a large crowd that the police arrested him for inciting a riot. Before he died, letters requesting remedies and donations were pouring into the small ranching community from all over the world to a man who could neither read nor write. The money was used to feed the poor or donated to local churches.
At a time and place where the effects of hygiene on a person's health were not always appreciated, Don Pedrito's prescriptions of drinking large amounts of water or bathing often resulted in the desired cure. In many cases, the addition of a poultice of the local mud containing salt, calcium, and iron added to the curative properties of the remedy.
The patient's faith was often tested when the prescription included detailed instructions for a set period of time for the treatment. For instance, one patient was told to drink seven glasses of water between sunup and sunset for three months.
There are many stories about the simple man who was proclaimed "the saint of Falfurrias" but was never canonized by the church. Probably the most famous folk tale is of a woman who was too lazy to visit Don Pedrito, so she sent an acquaintance to seek a cure for her migraine headaches. Perhaps more than a little unhappy about the deceit, the curandero recommended that the woman suffering the headaches have her head cut off and fed to the hogs. When told of the prescription, the woman became furious but she never suffered another headache as long as she lived.
Don Pedrito's Shrine is open to believers and the curious every day from sunup to sunset. The chapel, surrounded by a small cemetery, is a very peaceful place, whether you have faith in the curative powers or not. There is a small curio shop at the site that sells candles, herbs, incense, and snacks. To get to the shrine, take TX 285 east out of Falfurrias for two miles and then go north about a mile on FM 1418.
750th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
