San Francisco de Asis Church, Ranchos de Taos, Part 3 (front)

This vintage photograph has been reversed, the bell is actually on the other side!

 A tiny village four miles south of Taos on State Highway 68 (between mile markers 41 & 42), Ranchos de Taos is home to the San Francisco de Asis Church (or the Ranchos Church) a National Historic Landmark. The church has been an inspiration for many great artists who’ve left us with a palpable sense of the people places and events of the past and present. Its heavy buttresses have been portrayed in all media since the early 20th Century, most famously by Georgia O’Keeffe, Ansel Adams, and Paul Strand. The ever changing light has made capturing the back of this structure a challenge to artists/photographers for over a century. The Plaza was here before the church was built; in the mid-1700s it was the most populated community in the vicinity. Most of the buildings in the old plaza contain parts of the original structure, some of these buildings are over 300 years old. This historic plaza was built on top of an abandoned Native American Village. The front of the Church faces away from the road revealing it’s famous backside to travelers as they arrive to Taos. This is not meant to confuse visitors it merely faces the original road in to Taos a branch of the Old Santa Fe Trail.

There are a few gravesites in the patio around the front of the Church

 Inside the parish office resides “The Shadow of the Cross” or “the Mystery Painting” by Henry Ault. A small fee is charged and you will also be shown a short video about the Church. These can be viewed Mon.-Fri. 9AM-4PM.

 Each spring the Church is re-plastered with a mixture of mud and straw by the local parishioners.  Once again work will begin this June with locals and visitors joining in for the “enjarre”, or re-mud.

 San Francisco de Asis Church visiting hours 9-4 Mon.-Sat. 575-751-0518      

 Sunday Mass Service 7AM Spanish, 9AM & 11:30AM Weekdays 6:45AM Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri                                                                                        

ca. 1940's with livestock corrals, during WW2 animals were kept in the safety of the Church Plaza

a rather awkward view capturing back buttresses and front steeple

First Light of a brand new day

Polaroid of Vigas

2012 updated Vigas

Even today this Church is an active and vital center for the community of Taos, note the horse & buggy!

 Before the pine trees

 The majestic Sphinx like front

 absolute front

 From across the parking area, Two Graces Plaza Gallery is located in the building to the right

 Priest and parishioner greet each other

at one point in the early 20's the Church fell into disrepair

 colorized linen postcard

 Kodachrome

 updated vehicle

 The extreme sunset

 Vintage linen postcard

 Vintage linen postcard, same view, different visitors

Young couple ca 1950's

Before he was the old guy he is today, your guide Robert Cafazzo

Once again here are a group of images of the great San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. This grouping is of the front and without the very large pine trees blocking the view which have grown very, very tall.

I've been gathering these images for the past 25 years, many are vintage postcards, some are from State and National Archives and some are photographs I've taken myself.

If you choose to re-post any of these images please give me credit and a donation to the Church would be an admirable way to pay your respect.

Thank you very much

San Francisco de Asis Church, Ranchos de Taos, Part 2 (interior)

 Vintage photograph personal collection Front of San Francisco de Asis Church, Ranchos de Taos

As you enter through the front doors of St. Francis please put away your camera and turn your cell phone off. The following images are from sources such as State and National Archives and are featured here to satisfy the curious and people who simply must have a photograph of the interior of San Francisco de Asis. If this doesn't quite suit your needs please purchase a postcard or small heavy card stock poster from the Church Gift Shop, they carry some beautiful images of the Reredo Altar Screens.

 The interior with some of the 14 stations of the Cross in view on the side walls.

 Vintage Black and White version. The floor and front doors have been recently replaced, the Church has also had a new roof resurfaced and repaired.

 The front Altar as it stood before the wooden carved framework was painted. The paintings here are said to be oil paintings brought to the Taos Church Courtesy of the Archdiocese in Mexico by way of Spain, almost 200 years ago.

 Closer view of the Main Altar with a more traditionally colored painted woodwork.

 Another view of the interior including one of several woodstoves pre-1930.

Throughout the seasons of the calendar year of the Church the group of ladies known as the Guadalupinas dress and decorate the interior for the appropriate High Holy Days. Whether stark or glorious, they do an amazing job.

The side Altar Reredo with some of the most beautiful Retablo paintings of Saints.

Top left to right "Our Lady of Sorrows",  "Our Lady of Immaculate Conception", & Unidentified

Middle Row left to right "Our Lady of Talpa", "The Crucifixion" & "Joseph, Mary & the Innkeeper"

Bottom left to right Unidentified, a Bulto carving of St. Francis w/Our Lady of Sorrows Bulto carvings, "St. Francis"

If you wish to say a prayer and light a candle you are asked to please purchase a candle from the Church Gift Shop, they only allow a very specific low burning candle, others can create a fire hazard. Once you've got your candle you may pass through the roped off area and say your prayers of remembrance for your loved ones. There are bits of straw to light candles with provided under the candle stands, please extinguish your lit straw in the sand bucket provided below as well.

From this photo you can see the image of "Our Lady of Guadalupe" to the left, this painting now hangs over the doorway to the left of the main altar.

Father Bill (William Hart McNichols) has created a large half moon retablo in a contemporary icon style painting which hangs over the door as you exit the Church. Please look up at it's wonder.

 As you turn to leave you will notice the balcony. Today it is roped off, I have been up to it and taken the opportunity to sing aloud from it's height. The sound is amazing even for this rather inadequate voice. For the past few years the Santa Fe Desert Chorale holds a concert in this Church, as I've never been fortunate to attend this or other concerts held here I don't know if they actually sing from the balcony or not.

Out of respect for the Church Community I chose not to include images which contained people. Today many people will take photographs inside during a Wedding, Baptism or First Communion, most would agree this is perfectly acceptable and a joyous occasion to capture a moment of.

I am reminded of an old Navajo Guide I'd hired to tour me through Canyon de Chelly, while I was taking pictures he remarked that I should put the camera away and attend the moment. That my memories of this moment on this day would last forever, he was of course very right.

Thank you very much.

This photograph is taken from the New Mexico Centennial Photo contest website, which participants are asked to re-create the 100 photographs they have chosen as iconic images around the State. I ask that you please refrain from taking image #51 and use instead the B&W image immediately above this one here. I think that will be sufficient, I have notified the Web site contest people of their mistake. Yesterday, April 6 the website contest people notified me that they had indeed made a mistake and that no harm was intended. They had thought the photo was of the inside of the Santurio de Chimayo where you are allowed to take photos of the interior.

If you choose to copy and paste any of these images for your own purpose again I ask that you in turn give a donation to the Church of San Francisco de Asis.