Santa Fe . . . Churches

Santa Fe is known for having some beautiful churches.  While Mommy and Aunt Holly were on their recent trip, they visited four churches in the city.  Three of the churches were within easy walking distance of each other and they knocked all three out in one quick afternoon.

The first church they visited was the Saint Francis Cathedral.  It was built by Santa Fe's first Archbishop Lamy between 1869-1886 on the site of an older adobe church.  Not only does this church honor St. Francis of Assisi, but it also honors Kateri Tekakwitha, the first North American Indian to be promoted to sainthood.

No downtown building can be built taller than the bell towers of Saint Francis!

The second church Mommy and Aunt Holly visited was Loretto Chapel which is home to the Miraculous Staircase.

The Chapel was completed in 1878 and for some reason it lacked access to the choir loft.  Carpenters were called in but deemed the space too small for a staircase and so a ladder would have to be used.  The Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, in hopes of finding a solution.  On the final day of prayer, a man appeared with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work.  Months later, the staircase was finished and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks.  No one could find a trace of him anywhere and some have concluded he was St. Joseph himself. It is unclear how the staircase was built (originally without banisters) as it has no obvious means of support and the wood it's made of is still undetermined.

Just down the road from the other two churches is the San Miguel Chapel which is considered to be the oldest church in the US.  Being East Coast girls, Mommy and Aunt Holly had their doubts about this fact.  (Oldest is a technical term that depends on what part of the church you are talking about . . . building, congregation, etc.)  This church was built between 1610-1626.

Mommy and Aunt Holly did not enter this next church, but it was located close to a restaurant they ate at.  They were able to see it during sunset.  The Santuario de Guadalupe was built in 1777 and is the oldest, still-standing shrine built in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the US.  As time went by, a new church was built on this site, but the original shrine still stands inside.  There is also a twelve foot statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe outside.

We hope you've enjoyed this tour of churches in Santa Fe.  We have one more day of Mommy's trip to share with you soon!
Dixie, Jenna & Ruger