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Miracle mail - Thousands of devotees flock to shrine of Saint Rose of Lima to pen prayers

Miracle mail - Thousands of devotees flock to shrine of Saint Rose of Lima to pen prayers

"Thousands of devotees gathered on Saturday at the shrine of Santa Rosa of Lima to take part in the centuries-old tradition of placing letters and prayers into the 'wishing well,' seeking miracles and inspiration from the first saint of the Americas. Footage filmed on Saturday shows hundreds of people queuing to drop folded papers into the stone well, some carrying flowers and candles, while choirs were singing hymns in honour of the Peruvian patron saint.  "We come to ask at the wishing well for everything we want and feel," said Mercedes Suarez, a devotee of Santa Rosa of Lima, referring to the ritual of sending letters to the saint through the well. Ivonne Carmen Alcalde, a teacher dressed in the saint's attire, added: "Thousands of Peruvians come because of the devotion they have, because of the miracles she has performed." Others shared survival stories linked to their faith. Sosimo Terry, known as the 'Inka Guerrero', said: "I was once breathing through a cannula, had eight tracheal rings removed, and have faced death countless times. Yet, look how God has kept me standing." The annual festivity in Lima, which honours the patron saint of Peru and the Americas, continues to attract large crowds, blending religious fervour with popular hope and reaffirming Santa Rosa's place in the spiritual identity of the region."