veneration in chile is said to have begun when a devotee of expeditus (or locally in spanish, "san expedito") brought an image of him to viña del mar, one of the most popular beach cities of chile. she petitioned some local priests for help to have a small church built for him. it is said that local authorities initially rejected the idea, but the priests and the devout lady prayed to expeditus, and in less than nine days they had the approval. since then, the cult of san expedito has become increasingly popular in chile; from rich to poor, people pray novenas to him. the shrine in the reñaca sector of viña is a rather popular pilgrimage site, especially during summer.