The Cathedral/Basilica of St. Francis is the spiritual center of historic Santa Fe. The beautiful church is known as the crowning achievement of Archbishop Lamy's church construction in New Mexico.
You'll find the church a block from La Fonda. It's visible from the Plaza down Cathedral Street. Cathedral Park, which houses many arts and crafts shows in the summer, is next to St. Francis.
Saint Francis Cathedral was built in 1869 and in the French Romanesque style. The current church was built on the site of a church that was destroyed in the Pueblo Revolt. It replaces a later adobe church called La Parroquia.
Saint Francis Cathedral was built of stone from local quarries and from the La Bajada Mesa. Portions of La Parroquia remain in the form of the Chapel of Our lady of the Rosary, which houses a wooden statue of the Virgin known as Our Lady of Peace (or popularly, La Conquistadora). The statue was first brought to Santa Fe in 1625 and was returned to the city by the armies of Don Diego de Vargas during the re-conquest of 1692.
During Fiesta Week in Santa Fe, the statue of La Conquistadora part of a procession from St. Francis to Rosario Cemetery. There are costumed re-enactments of the peaceful return of Don Diego de Vargas to Santa Fe after the Pueblo Revolt. St. Francis Cathedral is the center of much of the pageantry.
In front of the church you can see a beautiful sculpture of the first Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, Mohawk. She was recently canonized.
St. Francis Cathedral is a very active church and welcomes visitors to its beautiful services.
More Information
Saint Francis Cathedral Basilica
Historic Churches of New Mexico
Comments