7 Historic Churches in New Mexico

7 Historic Churches in New Mexico

New Mexico is rich with an incredible history. There is so much that even New Mexico residents may not know about its vast heritage! Its legacy includes some of the oldest, unique mission churches in America. Some of which are not only distinctive in New Mexico, but in the world! Here are the top 5 historic churches you should see in New Mexico!

San Miguel Mission

San Miguel Mission is located in Santa Fe and was originally built in 1610 to serve a small congregation of laborers, soldiers, and Indians who resided in the Analco Barrio. It is known to be the oldest church in the United States! The current standing church dates from 1710 and has been repaired and rebuilt various times over the years, but its original adobe walls are still intact, and it is still being used to this day!

Loretto Chapel

The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe is the only church in New Mexico built in a Gothic Revival style. From its beautiful stain glass windows that came all the way from Paris, France, to its magnificent architecture, it is best known for its unusual spiral staircase called, “The Miraculous Staircase”. This staircase was built without nails, and only wooden pegs, and has no visible means of support! The builder of this incredible staircase has still not been verified. However, the Sisters of Loretto and many others believe that St. Joseph was responsible for the construction.

 San Francisco de Asis Mission Church

Built between 1772 and 1816 by Franciscan Fathers, San Francisco de Asis Mission Church is made of adobe, similar to many of the other Spanish missions in New Mexico and is located on the Ranchos de Taos Plaza, approximately four miles from the town of Taos, New Mexico.

The Taos Chamber of Commerce claims that the church is “one of the most photographed and painted churches in the world”. In 1970, it was declared a National Historic Landmark, and also a World Heritage church.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral, this church was constructed from 1869 to 1886 in Santa Fe. It was built in a Romanesque Revival style over the site of a demolished church which was destroyed in the Pueblo Revolt. The church is named after Saint Francis of Assisi, who is the Patron Saint of Santa Fe. Saint Francis Cathedral houses the oldest statue of the Virgin Mary in the United States.,”Our Lady La Conquistadora”, which was originally brought from Spain in 1625.

El Santuario de Chimayó

The shrine of El Santuario de Chimayó is a famous pilgrimage site and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Each year about 30,000 people from various parts of the world participate in its pilgrimage, especially during Holy Week, making it the most visited pilgrimage site in the United States! Some pilgrims are willing to walk from areas as far away as Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and even Mexico! Many people travel there in the hopes of a miraculous healing from the church and its blessed dirt found in a small room to the left side of the altar. Visitors are welcome to take a small amount of this dirt with them.

San Miguel Mission

According to the San Miguel website, it is the oldest Catholic Church in the United States, founded in 1598. There is a lot of controversy over if it is really older than San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe. There is, however, no concrete proof for these claims. The construction of the church was most likely completed by 1821 as records show. Local legend has it that during an Apache raid, an angel appeared and scared off a group of attackers. Due to this event, the parishioners decided to name the church after St. Michael, who is believed to have saved the village.

Basilica of San Albino

The Mexican-American War had just ended in what is now known as Doña Ana County. People from all over the area banded together to establish La Mesilla. The group of settlers eventually constructed a central plaza which included San Albino Church. The church is one of the oldest missions in the Mesilla Valley. The present building built in 1908 was constructed on the foundation of the original adobe church built in 1855. The current Romanesque Style Church bells of San Albino date to the early 1870s. On November 1, 2008, it was granted the title of Basilica.