Giant Baby Jesus statue visits Mexico City's Tepito neighborhood with message of peace

MEXICO CITY — His face and body resemble those of a newborn. Yet the Baby Jesus statue towers 16 feet (5 meters) tall and travels across central Mexico spreading a message of peace.

The giant figure arrived this week in Mexico City’s Tepito neighborhood, known for its bustling street markets and strong local identity, but also for longstanding crime problems. Prayers, offerings and a Mass followed.

“The Baby Jesus means everything to me and my family because we are very Catholic,” said Guillermo Ramírez, a local resident who coordinated logistics for the statue’s visit. “By bringing it here, I want to show that there are good people in Tepito.”

The 49-year-old musician first saw the giant Baby Jesus in 2024 in a nearby neighborhood. Seeing the devotion it drew from worshippers, he thought his own community could benefit too. So he reached out to the family who owns the statue, which made its first visit to Tepito later that year.

“Since it represents peace, we hope for peace in our neighborhood, in our family,” said Ramírez’s wife, Alma Cravioto.

A statue on a mission

Mexican artist Abraham Gómez created the Baby Jesus figure with his brother in 2013.

“This began as a project called ‘Walk for Peace and Good,’ intended to promote and spread values in families, towns and neighborhoods through sacred art,” Gómez said.

The statue has traveled to communities in the Mexican states of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Jalisco, including places where violence stemming from drug trafficking affects local communities.

“Insecurity has complicated our visits lately,” Gómez said. “But that’s why we think these activities are more necessary than ever.”

Made with a steel frame and layers of polyurethane foam and resin reinforced with fiberglass, the statue weighs about half a ton. Gómez said he found inspiration in the smaller Baby Jesus figures cherished among Mexican Catholics, who traditionally dress them ahead of Candlemas on Feb. 2.

He and his brother transport the image in a massive basket placed on top of a flatbed truck. For each of the Baby Jesus’ journeys, they lead a procession that heads to a local church or meeting point, where devotees can make offerings and a priest celebrates Mass.

After its arrival in Tepito on Monday night, dozens of residents gathered around the towering statue as music and prayers filled the street. Neighbors also shared “atole,” a traditional warm corn drink.

“For us, the important thing is not just bringing the statue so visitors can take photos,” Gómez said. “It’s that they leave with a message that stays in their hearts.”

Faith in the neighborhood

The giant Baby Jesus left his sleeping position on Tuesday and was seated upright. Following the Mexican custom of dressing him up, locals clothed the statue with traditional textiles inspired by Huichol art, a colorful Indigenous tradition from western Mexico.

“We want to reclaim the traditions of our ancestral communities,” Gómez said. “To show that Mexico is a blend of cultures, shaped by both Spanish heritage and Indigenous roots.”

María Concepción Franco, who lives in Tepito, said she had previously seen the figure and was excited about having him visit her neighborhood.

“This is a blessing for me,” she said. “He has granted me miracles and I have asked much of him.”

Friends and loved ones have given her images of the Baby Jesus throughout the years. She keeps some at home and carries one in her purse.

“He helps me stay strong despite all difficulties,” Franco said. “I don’t have any children, but I am really devoted to him.”