El Viejo is a small city near the city of Chinandega, noted for its particular gastronomic specialties, which include rosquillas (a type of doughnut), cajetas (a type of dulce de leche), bollitos de leche (a kind of scone), and a fruit particular to the region called the toncua, which is related to the papaya and is eaten with honey.

The church was elevated to the status of national religious sanctuary on 8 October 1995, and was declared a minor basilica on February 7, 1996, by Pope John Paul II, during his second visit to Nicaragua.

Tradition states that Fray Pedro de Zepeda y Ahumada, brother of Teresa of Avila, traveling to El Realejo with the image, was forced to go to El Viejo due to a storm.

Thus, he decided that this was a sign of divine intervention and left the image in El Viejo.

On December 6 of every year, the silver that is part of the little statue is washed before congregants in a ceremony called the lavado de la plata.