Each of the three churches we entered was beautiful.
This first one is the oldest church in the Continental US,
built in the 1600's.
San Miguel Mission Church.
built in the 1600's.
San Miguel Mission Church.
And then as we walked we found the Loretto Chapel,
built in the 1870's.
It is now used as a wedding chapel.
The main feature of this chapel is the mystery staircase.
I understand that the story goes that the nuns prayed
for someone to come and build a staircase.
A carpenter came one day and built this free standing staircase.
Upon completion, the carpenter disappeared without payment.
Then the final church, which is actually the only one
we originally planned to visit, is St. Francis Cathedral.
It was built in 1886 and from the main plaza of Santa Fe
you can see it just at the end of the road.
Do you search out churches when traveling?
I find that in the hurry, rush season of cramming
in as much sight seeing as possible,
a pause, a breath, a prayer
in a church centers me.
It refreshes and delights my soul.
4 comments:
These are simply beautiful, Marilyn. A great deal of peace and warmth in this church and your photos are lovely. I am so very fond of SW style architecture and this only adds to it.
These old churches are so filled with history. The crosses on the wall are beautiful, and I love that staircase. That was so nice of the carpenter to build it without payment. When Nel and Jess traveled to Europe, they liked to attend mass in the old Cathedrals. It was such a wonderful experience for them.
~Sheri
Oh, I loved this, Marilyn! Such beautiful churches our west! Such loveliness is the interior St. Francis Cathedral... Grand, but "quiet" somehow--easy to just stay all day and prayer... And I really like that wall full of Crucifixes! We visit churches on our travels and always look forward to what we might find. Even if a church is closed, it's nice to stop and admire the architecture. And when out & about, if it's a Sunday, I try to find a place to go to attend Mass, which is always exciting. :) ((HUGS))
I must see these churches when we travel in that area. I love to find churches but I seldom go inside. I usually photograph the buildings and the steeples but it's time for me to pause and enter. Thanks for sharing these places that touch the soul.
~Adrienne~
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