For the Jesuit Mission of San Miguel in southern Brazil, please see São Miguel das Missões

São Miguel das Missões

São Miguel das Missões is a Unesco World Heritage site located in the small town of São Miguel das Missões in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul, a state in southern Brazil. It is also known as São Miguel Arcanjo and by its Spanish language name San Miguel...

San Miguel Mission, also known as San Miguel Chapel, is a Spanish colonial

Spanish colonization of the Americas

Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...

 mission church

Spanish missions in New Mexico

The Spanish Missions in New Mexico were a series of religious outposts established by Franciscan friars under charter from the governments of Spain and New Spain to convert the local Pueblo, Navajo and Apache Indians to Christianity. The missions also aimed to pacify and Hispanicize the natives...

 in 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 claimed to be the oldest church in the United States. Built between approximately 1610 and 1626. The church was damaged during 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 but was rebuilt in 1710 following the Spanish reconquest and served for a time as a chapel for the Spanish soldiers. The wooden 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....

, which includes a wooden statue of Saint Michael dating back to at least 1709, was added in 1798. Though the church has been repaired and rebuilt numerous times over the years, its original 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...

 walls are still largely intact despite having been hidden by later additions.

The church is a contributing property in the Barrio De Analco Historic District

Barrio De Analco Historic District

Barrio de Analco Historic District is a historic district in Santa Fe, New Mexico that includes what are claimed to be the oldest house and the oldest church in the United States. It includes seven historic structures as well as other structures in between them. The name "Analco" comes from the...

, which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

.

Sunday mass is still held at the chapel.

External links

• San Miguel Church, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, NM: 11 photos, 18 drawings, 4 data pages and supplemental material, at Historic American Building Survey