Las Vegas daily optic., 1900-05-02
CHURCH CUSTOMS.
Ways and Manners as Viewed in New
Mexico by Strange Eyes.
Special to indianapolis News.

Special to indianapolis News"
Santa Fe. New Mexico. April 16-
The Spanish pioneers did not invade
this country on warlike mission. but
came with love and charity to civilize
and Christianize the strange people
they found in this new land. They
brought with them the priests of the
Catholic church. They built churches
and established their religion, which
is today the religion of these people.
Indians and Mexicans Not without
a severe struggle was their work with
the Pueblo Indians accomplished. The
idolatrous belief and worship of cen
turtles was to be overturned. Many
Of the early missionaries lost their
lives before this was done. At every
pueblo they built church and taught
the people. The ruins of many of
these churches still exist, and in
some pueblos the original chapel is
still used.
In many belfry hangs sweetton-
ed bell. which was brought from far
off Spain. In Santa Fe in 1906 was
built the first chapel, it being the
third one in the United States. The
first one at st. Augustine, Fla, the
second in New Mexico, the third, this
one at Santa Fe. In 1922, as the chap
Ell was too small, new parish church
was erected which stood until 1870,
when the growth of the city and the
increase of population demanded a
larger edifice in place of the old adobe
building, which, for many years, had
withstood the assaults of time. The
foundation of the cathedral OF Santa
Fe was laid around the old parish
church, which was still used until the
new one was near enough completion
to take its place. It was then demol-
ished, and the dirt of which it was
built, was carried out. One wing of
the old church was left and it is now
used as a chapel by the sisters. The
beams overhead are curiously carved.
The Guadalupe church is one OF the
ancient chapels. There is legend
connected with this church and the
18th day of December is holy day
sacred to Our Lady of Guadalupe ?
who in the year 1881 appeared as an
Indian maiden. She showed herself
to an Indian not far from the City oil
Mexico and told him to go to hebishor
and tell him to build church on the
spot where she stood. To prove the
truth of her appearance she told him
to take roses from the place. These
roses he found as she told him, al.
though it was a barren, rocky spot
where nothing ever grew. He gather
ed the roses in his mantle, which was
of very coarse cloth, made of the
fiber of the palm leaf. When he shook
the roses out of his mantle, before the
bishop, there was picture on it of
"The Lady," as she had come to him.
This mantle is stfll preserved, and
the picture is as bright and beautiful
today as when it was first seen. In
1895 the original picture was crowned
with crown of jewels that cost $780,,
900. Experts have declared that this
picture was not painted by human
hands, and that 1t Is a miracle, both
in its origin and its marvellous preser-
walton under unfavorable conditions,
A copy of this picture is the altar
piece in this old church in Santa Fe
On the night of the 12th of December
bon-fires are lighted and kept burning
until midnight, from the most north
ern settlement in New Mexico down to
the City of Mexico The old San Mi
guel church, which is still used, was
built in 1886, partially destroyed in
1880 and restored in 1710. It has been
recently repaired, and stone retain
ing walls built to support the old adobe
walls. Another old church is the San