Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1894-06-14
THE CATHEDRAL.
Work Progressing on the Enlarge
ment of the Noble Edifice in Anti ,
cipatiOn of the Great Gather
ing of Prelates i'll
September.

Contractor Marius Martin on Monday
morning began the work of tearing down
the adobe walls of the old parochial
church in the rear of the cathedral pre-
paratory to the enlargement of the main
edifice. The extension will be permanent
and in strict conformity with the plan of
the original architect. The solid stone
walls will be extended back forty-rine
feet so as to add forty-seven feet to the
length of the nave and side aisles of the
church and give corresponding space for
the accommodation of the clergy and
people. Two more cut stone pillars and
three cut stone arches will also be put in.
In addition to this work Stephens Laca-
sagne has been awarded contract to
complete the south tower of the cathedral
like the one in which the bells are hang.
The improvements noted will involve
the expenditure of several thousand dol
lars, and the idea of making them now In
spite of the hard times originated with
the Very Rev. Antonio Fourchegu, the
Jealous vicar general of the diocese, who
realized that larger accommodations must
be provided for the numerous prelates
who are expected here In September for
the imposition of the pallium on the
Most Rev. Placidus L. Chapele, arch
bishop of Santa Fe, and after mature
reflection he decided to make the i'm
provements enduring. He will CRATE
fully accept contributions in aid of the
noble work he has undertaken.
In anticipation of the questions that
the foregoing will naturally suggest, the
New MEXICAN takes pleasure in present.
ing brief historical account of the ca
thedral. On August /, 1907, Don Jose
Chacon Medina Salazar, Marques de la
Penuela, took the government of the prov
ince of New Mexico. As the chapel built
by Diego de Vargas (the chapel OF San
Miguel, which was used as Il parochial
church, was too small for the population
and the soldiers, he offered to the vice.
roy to build at his own cost a conven-
lent church on the foundation of the one
which had been destroyed by the Indians
in the general revolt of 1850. The per-
mission was granted to him and he COM
menced the building, but there is no
written proof that he brought it to COM
pletion.
On the other hand there is tradition
among the Santa Fe people that the old
church, which has been partly replaced
by the new cathedral, was built by rich
resident of Santa Fe, Don Jose Ortiz
either at his own expense or through his
exertons and influence with the help OF
other people. 1t can be safely stated that
the old church was commenced by Gev
Chacon and completed by the said Jost
Ortiz.
The time honored and sacred lane
mark was an unpretentious adobe struc
ture 54x9l2 yards, with fiat roof ane
two small square towers, as it stood unit
about 1882. On line with the sanctuary
or the place reserved for the main altar
were two large chapels forming eros!
or transcript with the main body of th'
church. The chapel on the north sid
was dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary
known also by the name of Our Lady o
the Victory, or Of ''la Conquistadora," ant
the one on the south side to st. Joseph
These two chapels are standing yet al
also the little projection between then
where can be seen the stone monument
which was erected in 1761 in the church
of Our Lady of Light, called also "Ls
Ignacia Castranse." by Gov Antonio
Marin del Valle, to the memory of Dor
Diego de Vargas and his wife Dona Maris
Iglasia Martinez de Ugarte, which monu
ment, by order of the lamented John B
Lamy, archbishop of Santa Fe, wa!
transferred in 1859 from the said Cartranst
church to the place where it now stands
The old San Francisco church, which
before the coming of the Right Rev. J, B
Lamy as vicar apostolic of New Mexico
had been abandoned, owingto the state o
deterioration into which 1t had fallen fol
want of timely repairs, was convenient!
restored by the young prelate to make O
it his pro-cathedral and parochial church
but as it required every year more or less
expense to keep it in order he very
wisely determined to substitute in it'
place church more in keeping with thu
ideas and progress of the epoch, as soor
as circumstances would allow. The new
cathedral was commenced in 1869 ant
finished as it now is in 1885. The menu
ment, as can be seen, is not completed
1t lacks the cupola, the sanctuary and thu
chapels, the construction Of which would
require as much money as did the build
ing of the main structure.