VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. – The walk up Tomé Hill is challenging, but the beautiful view featuring the three crosses at the top makes it worth it.

KOB 4 talked with many people as they came down from the top and learned about their stories, and why embarking on this faith-filled journey is so important to them.

“I think we’ve done it since I was my kid’s age, like with our parents”

“We’ve been doing this since we were little, about her age, 20 years.”

For 76 years, the Tomé Hill pilgrimage has welcomed hundreds sometimes thousands of people on Good Friday, all eager to express their faith.

No matter how long the trek up the hill, the spiritual experience at the foot of the three crosses makes the challenging journey worth it.

“It’s pretty powerful, it’s nice to just get up there and pray, just pray for whoever needs it,” said Kiara Baca. 

“It was a little tricky, but once we got up there we prayed for, we recently just lost our great grandpa, so we lost him last year, so we just prayed for him mostly,” said Jeffery Benavidez. 

“It really just like touches you to the heart cause like we walked all this way, and you get to the top, and you say your prayers and your blessings,” said Sean Cheromiah. 

Even for those who can’t make it up the hill, the experience is just as powerful.

“It’s still a great experience, and you just get to see and watch and see everyone going up the hill, and it’s still a great experience even if you can’t make it up there,” said Cindi Tomback. 

The walk to the top of Tomé Hill is much more than just one foot in front of the other. It’s a chance for thousands of strangers to come together and celebrate their faith as one.

“It’s just crazy how many people just came up here. There’s people walking barefoot up here. It’s just crazy how much people love Jesus,” said Benavidez.

Even though things are winding down, so many people we talked to said they’re already looking forward to coming back next Easter.