Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

 of the southwestern region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in the state of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

. While the motherchurch, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe....

, is in the City of Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...

, its administrative center is in the City of Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

. The Diocese comprises the counties of Rio Arriba
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*51.6% White*0.5% Black*16.0% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.3% Two or more races*28.2% Other races*71.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Taos
Taos County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*68.7% White*0.4% Black*6.2% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.9% Two or more races*20.1% Other races*55.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Colfax
Colfax County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*83.8% White*0.5% Black*1.5% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*10.1% Other races*47.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Union
Union County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.7% White*1.8% Black*2.0% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.3% Two or more races*11.7% Other races*39.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Mora
Mora County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.9% White*0.7% Black*1.3% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.3% Two or more races*23.5% Other races*81.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Harding
Harding County, New Mexico
Harding County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of 2010, the population was 695, the lowest in the state. Its county seat is the Village of Mosquero. The county is named for United States President Warren G...

, Los Alamos
Los Alamos County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*87.8% White*0.6% Black*0.8% Native American*6.0% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.6% Two or more races*2.2% Other races*14.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Sandoval
Sandoval County, New Mexico
-Indian reservations:Sandoval County has 12 Indian reservations and two joint-use areas lying within its borders, the second most of any county in the United States -Indian reservations:Sandoval County has 12 Indian reservations and two joint-use areas lying within its borders, the second most of...

, Santa Fe
Santa Fe County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*76.2% White*0.9% Black*3.1% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*14.9% Other races*50.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, San Miguel
San Miguel County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*66.6% White*1.4% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.9% Two or more races*25.5% Other races*76.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Quay
Quay County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*86.1% White*1.1% Black*1.2% Native American*1.0% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.4% Two or more races*7.2% Other races*42.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Bernalillo
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*69.4% White*3.0% Black*4.8% Native American*2.3% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.4% Two or more races*16.0% Other races*47.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Valencia
Valencia County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.2% White*1.4% Black*3.8% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*17.0% Other races*58.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Socorro
Socorro County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*75.1% White*1.1% Black*11.7% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.8% Two or more races*8.1% Other races*48.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Torrance
Torrance County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*76.1% White*1.3% Black*2.3% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.3% Two or more races*15.6% Other races*39.1% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Guadalupe
Guadalupe County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*1.7% Black*1.9% Native American*1.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.3% Two or more races*21.4% Other races*79.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, De Baca
De Baca County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*87.3% White*0.1% Black*0.6% Native American*0.0% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.9% Two or more races*8.1% Other races*38.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Roosevelt
Roosevelt County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*76.9% White*1.8% Black*1.3% Native American*0.9% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.2% Two or more races*15.9% Other races*39.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, and Curry
Curry County, New Mexico
Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The population was approximately 45,044 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Clovis. It is named in honor of George Curry, territorial governor of New Mexico from 1907 to 1910...

.

The Archdiocese has 93 parishes. The Dioceses of Gallup
Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States, encompassing counties in the states of Arizona and New Mexico and and parts of Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Bernalillo, and Valencia Counties west...

, Las Cruces
Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States, comprising the 10 southern counties in the state of New Mexico: Hidalgo, Grant, Luna, Sierra, Dona Ana, Otero, Lincoln, Chaves, Eddy, and...

, Phoenix
Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
-History:The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It was established on December 2, 1969 when it was split off of the Diocese of Tucson...

, and Tucson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States. It comprises nine counties of the state of Arizona, making it the fifth largest diocese in the continental United States in terms of area...

 are suffragan to the Archdiocese.

The current Archbishop is Michael Jarboe Sheehan
Michael Jarboe Sheehan
Michael Jarboe Sheehan is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eleventh and current Archbishop of Santa Fe, having previously served as Bishop of Lubbock from 1983 to 1993.-Early life and ministry:...

.

History

Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...

 created the Apostolic Vicariate of New Mexico on July 19, 1850 and installed its first bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

. Three years later, it became a full diocese, taking the name of its principal city home. In response to the growth of Catholicism in the area, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese on February 12, 1875.

Archbishops

Archbishop Born Ordained Priest Ordained Bishop Appointed Archbishop Vacated throne Died
Jean Baptiste Lamy
Jean Baptiste Lamy
Jean-Baptiste Lamy , was a French Roman Catholic clergyman and the first Archbishop of Santa Fe , United States. American writer Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop is based on his life and career.-Ordination as a priest:Lamy was born in Lempdes, Puy de Dôme, in the Auvergne region...

October 11, 1814 December 1838 November 24, 1850 February 12, 1875 August 18, 1885 February 13, 1888
Jean Baptiste Salpointe
Jean Baptiste Salpointe
Jean-Baptiste Salpointe was the first Bishop of Arizona and the second Archbishop of Santa Fe.Salpointe was born in Saint-Maurice, Puy-de-Dôme, . He received his preparatory education in a school in Agen and studied the classics at the College of Clermont...

February 22, 1825 December 20, 1851 June 20, 1869 August 18, 1885 January 7, 1894 July 15, 1898
Placide Louis Chapelle
Placide Louis Chapelle
Archbishop Placide Louise Chapelle was a French-American Roman Catholic archbishop....

August 28, 1842 June 28, 1865 November 1, 1891 January 7, 1894 December 7, 1897 August 8, 1905
Peter Bourgade
Peter Bourgade
Peter Bourgade was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Tucson and Archbishop of Santa Fe ....

October 17, 1845 November 30, 1869 May 1, 1885 January 7, 1899 May 17, 1908 May 17, 1908
John Baptist Pitaval
John Baptist Pitaval
John Baptist Pitaval was a French-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Santa Fe from 1909 to 1918.-Biography:...

February 10, 1858 December 24, 1881 July 25, 1902 January 3, 1909 July 29, 1918 May 23, 1928
Albert Daeger
Albert Daeger
Albert Daeger was the sixth Roman Catholic archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico.Born in St. Anne, Indiana, Daeger was ordained a priest on July 25, 1896 for the Franciscan order...

March 5, 1872 July 25, 1896 May 7, 1919 March 10, 1919 December 2, 1932 December 2, 1932
Rudolph Gerken
Rudolph Gerken
Rudolph Aloysius Gerken was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Santa Fe from 1933 until his death.-Biography:...

March 7, 1887 July 10, 1917 April 26, 1927 June 2, 1933 March 2, 1943 March 2, 1943
Edwin Byrne
Edwin Byrne
Edwin Vincent Byrne was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served in Puerto Rico, as Bishop of Ponce and Bishop of San Juan , before returning to the United States as Archbishop of Santa Fe .-Biography:Edwin Byrne was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Francis Charles and Anna...

August 9, 1891 May 22, 1915 November 30, 1925 June 12, 1943 July 26, 1963 July 26, 1963
James Peter Davis
James Peter Davis
James Peter Davis was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of San Juan and Archbishop of Santa Fe .-Biography:...

June 9, 1904 May 19, 1929 October 6, 1943 January 3, 1964 June 1, 1974 March 4, 1988
Robert Fortune Sanchez March 20, 1934 December 20, 1959 July 25, 1974 June 1, 1974 April 6, 1993 Still living
Michael Jarboe Sheehan
Michael Jarboe Sheehan
Michael Jarboe Sheehan is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eleventh and current Archbishop of Santa Fe, having previously served as Bishop of Lubbock from 1983 to 1993.-Early life and ministry:...

July 9, 1939 July 12, 1964 June 17, 1983 August 17, 1993 Still serving Still living

St. Francis Cathedral

Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy
Jean Baptiste Lamy
Jean-Baptiste Lamy , was a French Roman Catholic clergyman and the first Archbishop of Santa Fe , United States. American writer Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop is based on his life and career.-Ordination as a priest:Lamy was born in Lempdes, Puy de Dôme, in the Auvergne region...

 started construction on the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe....

(commonly known as the St. Francis Cathedral) in 1869. It would be the third church to occupy the portion of land. The first was a Chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...

 constructed by Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

 Friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...

s in 1610 which
was destroyed in the Pueblo Revolt
Pueblo Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, or Popé's Rebellion, was an uprising of several pueblos of the Pueblo people against Spanish colonization of the Americas in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.-Background:...

 of 1680; the second was an adobe church built in 1717 which St. Francis Cathedral replaced. Construction was not finished until 1884, by which time, the Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

 had become the Archdiocese, and the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 - dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi - became its motherchurch. Archbishop Lamy is entombed in the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...

 floor of the Cathedral, and a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...

 statue, dedicated in 1925, stands in his memory outside the front entrance of the Cathedral.

It was built in a Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

 style found in Bishop Lamy's native France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The interior reflects the pastel colors of New Mexico; The pews are made of blonde wood, and the walls and columns are painted a dusky pink with pale green trimmings. Stone for the building was mined from what is now Lamy, New Mexico
Lamy, New Mexico
Lamy is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States, to the south of the city of Sante Fe. The community was named for Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, and lies within the Bishop John Lamy Spanish Land Grant, which dates back to the eighteenth century.Lamy is part of the...

 - named in the Archbishop's honor - and the stained glass was imported from France. The Cathedral was originally intended to have two spires rising up from its landmark bell towers, but due to costs, this was delayed, and finally canceled, giving the bell towers a very distinctive look.

Conquistadora Chapel and Loretto Chapel

The adjoining Conquistadora Chapel is all that remains of the second Church. Built in 1714, this tiny Chapel houses La Conquistadora, the oldest Madonna in the United States, brought by Franciscan Friars in 1625.

The Archdiocese is also the home of the Loretto Chapel
Loretto Chapel
The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA is a former Roman Catholic church that is now used as a museum and wedding chapel. It is known for its unusual helix shaped spiral staircase , that may have been created by French carpenter Francois-Jean "Frenchy" Rochas, although the Sisters of...

, which contains an ascending spiral staircase
Spiral staircase
Spiral staircase may refer to:* A type of stairway characterized by its spiral shape* The Spiral Staircase , a 1946 American psychological thriller film* The Spiral Staircase , a 1975 British film, a remake of the 1946 film...

—the building of which the Sisters
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...

 of Loretto consider to be a miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...

 due to the unusual construction of the staircase (see Loretto Chapel
Loretto Chapel
The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA is a former Roman Catholic church that is now used as a museum and wedding chapel. It is known for its unusual helix shaped spiral staircase , that may have been created by French carpenter Francois-Jean "Frenchy" Rochas, although the Sisters of...

 for a more detailed discussion).

Elevation to a Basilica

On June 15, 2005, Archbishop Sheehan announced that Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 had designated the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 a Basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...

. The Cathedral was officially elevated on October 4, 2005. Its full name, the Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi, was consequently changed to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. http://www.archdiocesesantafe.org/Offices/Communications/PressReleases/05.10.04.Basilica.html

High schools

  • St. Michael's High School
    St. Michael's High School
    St. Michael's High School is a private Catholic junior/senior high school located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the state capital of New Mexico. It is privately run under the auspices of the international Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, better known as the De La Salle Christian...

    , Santa Fe
  • St. Pius X High School
    St. Pius X High School (Albuquerque)
    St. Pius X High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was established in 1956. It is administered in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe....

    , Albuquerque

See also

  • Roman Catholic Church
    Roman Catholic Church
    The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

  • St. Francis of Assisi
  • Jean Baptiste Lamy
    Jean Baptiste Lamy
    Jean-Baptiste Lamy , was a French Roman Catholic clergyman and the first Archbishop of Santa Fe , United States. American writer Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop is based on his life and career.-Ordination as a priest:Lamy was born in Lempdes, Puy de Dôme, in the Auvergne region...

  • Anton Docher
    Anton Docher
    Anton Docher was a French Roman Catholic priest, missionary and defender of the Indians. He was born in 1852 in Le Crest, a small wine growing village of Puy de Dôme in Auvergne. He lived in the pueblo of Isleta in the state of New Mexico for 34 years...

  • Loretto Chapel
    Loretto Chapel
    The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA is a former Roman Catholic church that is now used as a museum and wedding chapel. It is known for its unusual helix shaped spiral staircase , that may have been created by French carpenter Francois-Jean "Frenchy" Rochas, although the Sisters of...

  • Basilica
    Basilica
    The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...

  • List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the United States
  • List of the Catholic cathedrals of the United States

External links

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