Fr. Francisco Torres had been mortally wounded during a slave rebellion. He escaped down the mountain and boarded a raft on San Luis Lake. As he lay dying he watched as the sun set on the snowcapped mountains. Suddenly the mountains seemed to burst red. The dying priest's last words were, "Sangre de Cristo!" - blood of Christ.
In 2009, Congress designated Sangre de Cristo Mountains as a National Heritage Area.
Santuario de Chimayo is a small adobe chapel located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is sometimes called "the Lourdes of America." By Easter each year, between 40,000 to 60,000 visitors will have walked to the Santuario de Chimayo, which is said to have healing powers.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw