Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
Encyclopedia
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico
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...
. It is the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
The cathedral was built by Archbishop 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...
between 1869 and 1886 on the site of an older adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
church, La Parroquia (built in 1714-1717). An even earlier church on the same site, built in 1626, had been destroyed in the 1680 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:...
. The new cathedral was built around La Parroquia, which was dismantled once construction was complete. A small 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,...
on the north side of the cathedral is all that remains of the old church.
Influenced by the French-born Archbishop Lamy and in dramatic contrast to the surrounding adobe structures, Saint Francis Cathedral was designed in the Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. As such, the cathedral features characteristic round arches
Arches
-Places:* Arches National Park in the U.S. state of Utah* Arches, Cantal, a commune of the Cantal département, in France* Arches, Vosges, a commune of the Vosges département, in France-Other:* Arches of the foot...
separated by Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns and truncated square towers. The large rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
in front and those of the Twelve Apostles in the lateral nave windows were imported from Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
in 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 towers were originally planned to be topped with dramatic 160 feet (48.8 m) steeples
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
, but due to lack of funds these were never built. The left tower is in fact a single row of bricks taller than the right tower. The cathedral was built from yellow limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
blocks quarried near the present site of Lamy
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...
. A 2005 addition to the upper facade of the cathedral is a small, round window featuring the dove of the Holy Spirit. It is a stained glass replica of the translucent alabaster window designed in the 17th Century by Italian Baroque artist Bernini that can be seen in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi was officially elevated to 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...
by 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...
on October 4, 2005, becoming the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Outside Portico
St. Francis of AssisiThe patron saint of the diocese, this statue of St. Francis
St. Francis
St. Francis may refer to a number of Roman Catholic saints:*St Francis of Assisi , Italian founder of the Order of Friars Minor *St Francis of Paola , Italian founder of the Order of the Minims...
was brought to the Cathedral during the 1967 renovations.
Blessed Kateri
Kateri Tekakwitha
Kateri Tekakwitha
Kateri Tekakwitha or Catherine Tekakwitha was a Mohawk-Algonquian woman from New York and an early convert to Catholicism, who has been beatified in the Roman Catholic Church.-Her life:...
(1656–1680) is the first North American Indian to be beatified. She was a Mohawk-Algonquian woman of New York State. At an early age, she converted to Christianity.
Father John Baptist Lamy
A statue of Father Lamy honors Father Lamy's(1814–1888) installation as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Santa Fe in 1850. Under his direction, the cornerstone of the current cathedral was laid in 1869. He became Archbishop in 1875, when the Diocese was raised to an Archdiocese. He retired in July of 1885 to his residence north of town, known as Bishop's Lodge. He is buried in the crypt beneath the Cathedral floor.
West Front
Bronze DoorsDuring the restoration of 1986, new doors were created of twenty bronze panels. Each panel depicts scenes and events in the history of the church in Santa Fe. The work was commissioned to Donna Quastoff
The Cathedral
NaveLocated in the center of the Nave is the baptismal font. Dedicated on June 3, 2001 by Most Rev. Michael J. Sheehan, it is made of Brazilian granite. The eight-sided form represents the 8th day or Easter, marking the new creation of God's through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The basin is a cruciform, with three steps representative of the 3-days between Jesus' Crucifixion and his resurrection. The rill symbolizes the four Evangelists who cast their nets to catch men. Its location directly between the doors and the altar is representative of our faith journey. To the south is the Ambry Cabinet containing the oils used in the sacraments. To the north is the Easter Candle Stand.
Surrounding the nave along the walls are the Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
. The original artwork of the nave was done in New Mexico Mission Style. The progression of French Archbishops had the artwork removed and the walls painted white. In 1997, the current Archbishop began the restoration of the interior in the historic style. The Stations are done in Santero
Santero
A santero may refer to either:*a practictioner of Santería*an artisan who creates santos and other Spanish-style religious art...
style by Marie Romero Cash. Penitent Roberto Montoya carved the Spanish-style frames.
La Conquistadora Chapel
In 1626, Fray Alonso Benavides brought Our Lady of the Rosary to Santa Fe. The chapel was built at that time for the statue. During the Pueblo Revolt, the statue was removed, but returned in 1693 during the peaceful return of the Spanish settlers. She was renamed La Conquistadora in honor of the peaceful manner in which it was believed she entered the hearts of the natives. Behind the statue is a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
, a mural style from Spain, depicting various saints. During a recent (2000–2009) restoration, an older painting was found. On the left are the coffins of two early 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....
Priests. The chapel is a 'contributing property' in the Santa Fe Historic District
Santa Fe Historic District
Santa Fe Historic District is a historic district in Santa Fe, New Mexico that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It includes two sites that are individually named U.S...
Blessed Sacrament Chapel
The chapel is reserved for prayer. The window wall along the south transept was added during the 1986 renovations. Etched into the glass are depictions of the Apostles and the Holy Family. The stained glass in the chapel are from France and represent the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
Sanctuary
Located in the east end of the nave is the sanctuary. Above the altar is the San Damiano Crucifix
San Damiano cross
The San Damiano Cross is the large Romanesque rood cross that St. Francis of Assisi was praying before when he received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. The original cross hangs in the Basilica of Saint Clare in Assisi, Italy. Franciscans cherish this cross as the symbol of...
. It is an exact replica of the crucifix in Assisi, Italy. It is told that the Lord leaned down from the crucifix and said; "Francis, go and repair my house."
The altar screen was created for the 100th anniversary of the Cathedral in 1986. It is a reredos. In the center is a statue of St. Francis dating from the 18th century. He is surrounded by images of saints of the new world.
The entrance to the crypt is directly behind the sanctuary. The sanctuary was redesigned in 1986 in accordance with changes in the liturgical worship. The Archbishop's chair is located to the north, next to a pillar.
Cultural References
A fictionalized account of the cathedral's origins may be found in Willa CatherWilla Cather
Willa Seibert Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains, in works such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours , a novel set during World War I...
's Death Comes for the Archbishop
Death Comes for the Archbishop
Death Comes for the Archbishop is a 1927 novel by Willa Cather. It concerns the attempts of a Catholic bishop and a priest to establish a diocese in New Mexico Territory.The novel was included on Time's 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005...
.
Links
- Interactive hi resolution panoramic tour of the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis
- Virtual Tour of the Cathedral St Francis
