Historic chapel a reminder of faithful past

Placing the historic but sometimes overlooked San Miguel Chapel in the limelight for visitors and residents of Santa Fe is a worthy endeavor. Church curator Julianne Burton-Carvajal is correct that people take the church “for granted,” as discussed in a story by Robert Nott (“Spreading the word,” Dec. 28).

It might be billed as the oldest church in the United States, but many tend to just walk by as they go about their business on Old Santa Fe Trail.

For centuries, though, the people of Santa Fe have prayed in this church. Couples have been married, babies baptized and people buried. Sitting on a hard pew there, perhaps waiting for Mass to begin or simply taking a reflection break, it is possible to feel the intentions and prayers of centuries. This is a place where history is a living, breathing presence.

For Burton-Carvajal, lectures this week — “Hour with the Curator” — from 3 to 4 p.m. today and Thursday, are one way of helping people become more aware of the church’s significance.

Located in Barrio de Analco, Tlaxcaltecan Indians are thought to have founded the church. These were Christianized Indigenous peoples from Mexico who moved north with colonists in the 1600s. Perhaps as early as 1610, a place of worship was built at the site, and as early as 1628, historic documents refer to the chapel. In 1710, 30 years after the Pueblo Revolt, the church was rebuilt.

Now owned by St. Michael’s High School, the church is independent of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. For years, Mass in English as well as Latin has been offered on Sundays, something faithful attendees profoundly hope to see return soon. Priests from the archdiocese have celebrated Mass, attracting a variety of participants.

The evening Sunday Mass, recited in English, has been seen by many as a profound way to end the weekend. In recent years, Latin singers have added their voices to the English Mass once a month or so, blending ancient and modern in a stirring fashion.

Having Mass at the historic church is a reminder of a living faith, both for people alive today but also as tribute to the ancestors who built and maintained the place over centuries. A church, after all, is not only a building — it’s a congregation of people even when it is not an official parish.

Especially for a Catholic place of worship, offering regular Mass is essential. San Miguel Church, built in an era when people were physically smaller and populations less sizable, was not a place where pandemic social distancing would have worked well; thus, the end to weekly Mass.

At some point, though, the pandemic will be past and regular Mass should be able to return. Perhaps a retired priest can be found to help out; that would relieve archdiocesan priests, who celebrate Mass at San Miguel in addition to parish work.

The future of the Latin Mass, supported by a strong community of people who prefer the ancient rite, might be less secure because of recent decisions from Pope Francis. He has placed additional restrictions on recitation of the Latin Mass, charging bishops with the “exclusive competence” to authorize use of the Latin rite. The bishops — in our case Archbishop John C. Wester — also must determine whether traditional Latin Mass groups in the diocese deny the validity of the Second Vatican Council and the teachings of the modern Catholic Church. What happens next in Santa Fe is likely a discussion for another day.

This week, there is still time to stop by the San Miguel Church and hear in person about it from the curator today and Thursday. Learn about this place of worship, so important to the history and people of Santa Fe.

It remains standing because of the faith of people long gone, a reminder to the present-day faithful of their responsibility to keep this legacy safe now and in the future.