It was a sad and desperate time in Argentina. The civil war of the 1840s and poverty were creating desperation. The Correa family was like others around them—broken apart because of a gruesome clash of powers-that-be. Deolinda Correa's husband had been forced into the civil war. While in the field he was overcome with a sickness that ravaged his body. He was left in the deserts of northern Argentina for dead. Word made it back to worried-sick Deolinda, now a new mother. In her misery she decided to take the child and attempt to find her lost love. She wandered the desert following her husband's brigade, only to run out of food and water, and perish in the blazing sun. A few days after her parting a small band of gauchos came upon her body with her baby still clutched to her nipple. The miracle that the child's dead mother was able to sustain his life, has lead to a cult like following throughout Chile and Argentina.
The degree of devoutness to San Difunta Correa varies. People set up small, wood boxes with a couple of candles and red, silk scarves, and others offer intricate, miniature houses (usually painted red) that are surrounded by used, two-liter plastic bottles filled with water. Water is the one common factor with all of the altars that are built in her honor. Truck drivers are especially devout, but they are not the only believers. A small village was built in response to the overwhelming amount of visitors to her sanctuary in Vallecito, Argentina. Vallecito, which began as one shrine, has now grown to at least seven different chapels. Each one has its own theme: the marriage prayer room is decorated with wedding dresses from happy brides; the healing chapel is covered with small pictures of loved ones needing health miracles. Believers travel from far and wide. The crowds can be huge, sometimes gathering to more than 200,000 strong. The amount of visitors is especially high during Easter and The Day of the Souls (November 2nd).