In 1610, a small band of Spanish colonists drove their wagon carts north from the fading settlement of San Gabriel, following the Rio Grande through high desert to a site already chosen by the royal governor: a low hill above a seasonal stream, surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. They called their new settlement La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís — the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi. From that founding moment, faith was not incidental to Santa Fe but woven into its very name.
Four hundred years later, the same high desert light falls on the same Plaza, the same adobe walls absorb the same afternoon heat, and the same faith — older in this place than the United States itself — continues in churches that predate the republic by more than a century. Santa Fe is not a city that happens to have Catholic history; it is a city whose entire being was constituted by that history. The Cathedral stands where the first provisional church stood. The oldest church in the continental United States still says Mass. The oldest Marian shrine in the country still draws pilgrims. In few places in North America does the continuity of Catholic devotion run so long or so deep.
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
When Governor Don Pedro de Peralta founded Santa Fe in 1610, he placed it at the northern edge of the Spanish colonial world. The Franciscan missionaries who accompanied the settlers — and those who followed — fanned out across the Pueblo Indian lands of the Rio Grande valley, establishing missions at Acoma, Taos, Pecos, and dozens of smaller villages. By 1625, Father Alonso de Benavides had brought from Mexico City a small carved figure of the Virgin Mary that the colonists called La Conquistadora — Our Lady of the Conquest. She was enshrined in the Santa Fe parish church, becoming the oldest continuously venerated Marian image in what is now the United States.
The fragility of that colonial church became catastrophically apparent on August 10, 1680. The Pueblo peoples of the Rio Grande, driven past endurance by forced labor, suppression of their traditional religion, and years of drought and Apache raids, rose simultaneously across the entire territory. In the revolt led by Popé, a Tewa religious leader from Ohkay Owingeh, 21 of the 33 Franciscan missionaries in New Mexico were killed, and over 400 colonists died. Governor Antonio de Otermín and the surviving settlers fled south to El Paso. Santa Fe's churches were burned or converted to Pueblo ceremonial use. The Spanish were gone — and the mission church with them.
Twelve years later, Governor Don Diego de Vargas led a military and diplomatic reconquest of New Mexico, entering Santa Fe peacefully on September 14, 1692 — the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Reconquista was sealed with a vow: Vargas promised an annual procession and Mass in thanksgiving to La Conquistadora, who had been carried south during the flight and now returned north in triumph. That vow became the Fiesta de Santa Fe, celebrated without interruption since 1712, making it one of the oldest continuing public celebrations in the United States.
The nineteenth century brought transformation. The Mexican War of 1846 transferred New Mexico to American sovereignty, and in 1851 Rome appointed Jean-Baptiste Lamy as the first Bishop of Santa Fe. A Frenchman from the Auvergne, educated in the Sulpician tradition, Lamy found a church rich in folk devotion and adobe architecture and proceeded to rebuild it in French Romanesque stone. It was Lamy who commissioned the present Cathedral Basilica in 1869, Lamy who invited the Sisters of Loretto to found a school for girls, and Lamy who became the model for the fictional Bishop Jean Latour in Willa Cather's 1927 novel Death Comes for the Archbishop — still the finest literary account of New Mexico's Catholic history. Lamy is buried beneath the Cathedral that was his life's work.
The twentieth century deepened Santa Fe's status as a sacred city. In 1940, Archbishop Rudolph Gerken commissioned Cristo Rey Church to mark the quadricentennial of Coronado's expedition — a building raised entirely from 150,000 handmade adobes, the largest such structure in the United States. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the Cathedral Basilica to the rank of Minor Basilica, recognizing its four centuries at the center of Catholic life in North America. Today the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, established as a diocese in 1853, encompasses all of New Mexico and remains the spiritual heir of those first Franciscan missionaries who crossed the Chihuahuan Desert with a carved wooden Madonna.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Santa Fe
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
The story of Santa Fe's cathedral begins not with stone but with adobe: five provisional earthen churches occupied this site from 1610 onward, each one rebuilt or enlarged as the colonial settlement grew. When Bishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy arrived from France in 1851 and surveyed the low, flat church that served as his cathedral, he decided to enclose it entirely within a new stone building in the French Romanesque style he had known in the Auvergne. Construction began in 1869 under architect Antoine Mouly, using locally quarried yellow limestone; the twin towers Lamy envisioned were never completed, leaving the facade with its characteristic abbreviated profile. Lamy died in 1888, buried beneath the sanctuary he had built.
Within the Basilica's north wall, accessible through a small door, lies the La Conquistadora Chapel — the oldest continuously used place of worship in the United States. The chapel houses the oldest Marian statue in the country: a 29-centimetre carved figure of Our Lady, brought from Mexico City in 1625 by Father Benavides, carried south by the fleeing colonists in 1680, and restored to her chapel when Vargas reconquered the province in 1692. She has been vested in hand-sewn gowns ever since, her wardrobe changed according to the liturgical season by a confraternity of volunteers. The walls of her chapel are lined with ex-votos — small offerings of gratitude for graces received.
In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to a Minor Basilica, granting it the rank and privileges that recognize its singular role in the history of North American Catholicism. The papal cross and umbrellino (tintinnabulum and umbraculum) displayed near the entrance mark this status. The Basilica also holds a notable collection of religious art, including a bronze statue of Bishop Lamy by sculptor Donna Quasthoff, installed outside the main entrance in 1915.
Loretto Chapel
The Sisters of Loretto arrived in Santa Fe in 1852 at Bishop Lamy's invitation, walking 1,500 kilometres from Independence, Missouri, to found the Loretto Academy for girls. Two decades later, in 1873, they began construction of their own chapel — an intimate Gothic Revival church designed by architect Antoine Mouly in conscious imitation of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, the first Gothic-style building west of the Mississippi River. The chapel was completed in 1878 and consecrated for use by the Sisters.
It was only after completion that the builders discovered their error: no staircase had been provided to the choir loft, some six metres above the nave floor. The space was too small for a conventional wooden stair without blocking the view of the altar; a ladder was the only alternative. According to the Sisters' account, a nine-day novena to Saint Joseph — patron of carpenters — was offered. On the final day, a stranger appeared at the convent door with a tool chest and asked to see the problem. Over several months of work he constructed a circular staircase of remarkable elegance: two complete 360-degree turns, no visible central support column, the treads held in place by wooden pegs rather than nails. When his work was done, the craftsman disappeared without leaving his name or accepting payment. Analysis of the wood has suggested it is a species not native to New Mexico. The Sisters called it the Miraculous Staircase.
Loretto Chapel was deconsecrated in 1971 and is now operated as a private museum and wedding venue. It no longer functions as a Catholic chapel, but the staircase — which pilgrims still come specifically to see — remains a focus of devotion and contemplation.
Cristo Rey Church
At the top of Canyon Road, where the street narrows and the cottonwoods close over it, Cristo Rey Church rises from the ground like a natural formation — its walls the same yellow-brown as the earth from which they were made. Built in 1940 to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition to the Southwest, the church was designed by the prominent Santa Fe architect John Gaw Meem in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It is the largest adobe structure in the United States: the building required between 150,000 and 200,000 individual adobes, each one made on site by the parishioners themselves — men, women, and children from the neighbourhood who gave their labour as an act of faith.
The architectural achievement is substantial, but the spiritual heart of Cristo Rey is the reredos — the monumental stone altar screen that fills the entire east wall behind the sanctuary. Carved in 1761 from local stone by an unknown santero, the Reredos of Our Lady of Light originally hung in La Castrense, a military chapel on the Santa Fe Plaza, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When La Castrense was demolished in the 1850s, the reredos was removed and stored; Cristo Rey was built in part specifically to house it. Standing nearly six metres tall and nearly five metres wide, the screen depicts Our Lady flanked by Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint James the Apostle, Saint John Nepomuk, and other figures — a carved summary of the spiritual world that the Spanish colonists brought with them across the desert.
Santuario de Guadalupe
Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
At the western edge of downtown, where the old Camino Real entered the city from the south, stands the oldest extant shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the United States. The Santuario was built between 1776 and 1796 by Franciscan missionaries serving the travellers and settlers who passed along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro — the royal road that connected Mexico City to Santa Fe, more than 2,500 kilometres of desert track. The cruciform adobe church was the last thing travellers saw leaving Santa Fe and the first thing they saw returning; it marked the boundary between the civilized world and the wilderness of the northern frontier.
The Santuario suffered a devastating fire in 1922 that destroyed its roof and interior; it was rebuilt in Mission Revival style, then again restored in 1976–1978 to an approximation of its original appearance. The interior now houses the Archdiocese of Santa Fe's collection of New Mexican santos — carved and painted wooden figures of saints — along with Italian Renaissance paintings and Mexican Baroque canvases brought north by the missionaries. The Santuario functions as an art museum and cultural centre as well as a place of worship, holding Mass for the community and celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe each December 12 with the full intensity of New Mexico's mestizo Catholic tradition.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi — October 4
As patron of the city whose very name invokes him, Francis of Assisi is honoured at the Cathedral Basilica with a Solemn Mass on his feast day, October 4. The celebration draws pilgrims from across New Mexico and reflects the Franciscan roots of the entire colonial enterprise in the Southwest. Many parishes across the Archdiocese hold their own observances, and the traditional Blessing of the Animals — connected to Francis's relationship with creation — takes place at numerous churches throughout the day.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — December 12
The Santuario de Guadalupe's feast day is the occasion for one of Santa Fe's most deeply felt celebrations. From before dawn, the faithful gather to serenade the Virgin with las mañanitas — the traditional Mexican birthday song — in a practice that continues unchanged from colonial times. Special Masses are celebrated throughout the day, and the Santuario, which historically held services only once per year on this date, fills with the scent of copal incense and the sound of mariachi and folk hymns. The celebration reflects the deep mestizo character of New Mexico's Catholicism, blending Spanish, Mexican, and Pueblo Indian devotional forms that have been developing in this valley for four centuries.
Fiesta de Santa Fe — Second Weekend of September
The oldest continuously observed public celebration in the United States, the Fiesta de Santa Fe traces its origins to 1692, when Governor Don Diego de Vargas made a vow to honour La Conquistadora annually in thanksgiving for the peaceful reconquest of New Mexico. The first formal celebration was held in 1712; it has continued without interruption since. The Fiesta begins with the Misa del Pregón — the Proclamation Mass — celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica at 6 a.m. on Friday morning, attended by civic and religious leaders in historical costume. This is followed over the weekend by the solemn procession of La Conquistadora from the Cathedral through the streets of the old city, the Desfile de los Niños (children's parade), the Desfile de la Gente (community parade), and the Mariachi Extravaganza. The weekend also includes the theatrical burning of Zozobra — an effigy representing gloom and troubles — a tradition added in 1924 that has become inseparable from the Fiesta in popular imagination. The religious core of the celebration, the procession of La Conquistadora and the Pontifical Mass, remains at the heart of a weekend that is simultaneously a civic festival and a profound act of communal Catholic thanksgiving.
🛏️ Where to Stay
La Fonda on the Plaza ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — A Santa Fe landmark since 1922, La Fonda occupies the site where a fonda (inn) has stood since the earliest days of the Santa Fe Trail. Steps from the Cathedral and the Plaza, the hotel is decorated throughout with New Mexican folk art and handcrafted furniture. An ideal base for pilgrims walking the historic churches of the city centre. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Inn and Spa at Loretto ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Built in a Pueblo-style adobe design adjacent to Loretto Chapel, this hotel places guests within steps of the Miraculous Staircase and a five-minute walk from the Cathedral Basilica and San Miguel Chapel. The central location makes it the most convenient base for visiting all five pilgrimage sites on foot. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — A small luxury hotel on Washington Avenue, five minutes' walk from the Cathedral, decorated with hand-crafted furniture, kiva fireplaces in every room, and original art drawn from New Mexico's indigenous and Spanish colonial heritage. Cathedral Park is a five-minute walk. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Hotel St. Francis ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Named for Santa Fe's patron saint, this 1920s historic hotel on Don Gaspar Avenue combines period character with modern comfort and sits within easy walking distance of the Cathedral Basilica and all historic churches. Its afternoon tea ritual on the veranda is a Santa Fe institution. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Hotel Santa Fe Hacienda & Spa ⭐⭐⭐ — New Mexico's only Native American-owned hotel, located in the Railyard District a short walk from the Santuario de Guadalupe. The hotel celebrates both the indigenous and Spanish heritage of the region; its Amaya Restaurant serves cuisine rooted in Pueblo Indian and nuevomexicano traditions. Complimentary shuttle to the historic downtown. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
🚗 Getting There
By Air: The primary gateway is Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), approximately 100 km south of Santa Fe. Albuquerque is served by all major US carriers with connections from across North America. Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF) offers limited domestic service on small carriers. From Albuquerque, the most scenic transfer is the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter train from Albuquerque's downtown station to Santa Fe Depot (approximately 90 minutes, $2.25 per person); an ABQ Ride shuttle (Route 250) connects the Sunport to the Rail Runner station. Rental cars and private transfers are also available.
By Train: Amtrak's Southwest Chief, running between Chicago and Los Angeles, stops at Lamy, New Mexico, approximately 26 km southeast of Santa Fe. Amtrak coordinates connecting shuttle service to Santa Fe from Lamy. The New Mexico Rail Runner Express connects Albuquerque to Santa Fe with multiple daily departures.
By Car: Santa Fe is easily reached by Interstate 25. From Albuquerque, take I-25 North for approximately 100 km (about 65 minutes). From Denver, I-25 South covers approximately 580 km (about 5.5 hours). Parking is available in several public lots near the Cathedral Basilica and the Plaza; the city centre is compact enough that a car is not needed to visit the pilgrimage sites once arrived.
On Foot: All five pilgrimage sites lie within approximately 1.5 km of the Santa Fe Plaza and are linked by walkable streets. The Cathedral Basilica, Loretto Chapel, and San Miguel Chapel form a natural walking circuit of under 30 minutes. Cristo Rey Church, the furthest site, is about 1.5 km east of the Plaza along Canyon Road — a pleasant walk through Santa Fe's art gallery district.
📚 Further Reading
Books:
Willa Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop — The definitive literary account of Catholic New Mexico, following a fictional French bishop modelled on Jean-Baptiste Lamy as he builds the church across the high desert. Published 1927; still the indispensable companion for any Santa Fe pilgrimage.
Ana Pacheco, A History of Spirituality in Santa Fe: The City of Holy Faith — A focused account of the spiritual heritage of New Mexico's capital, from the first Franciscan missionaries through the present day, drawing on local archives and oral tradition.
Kevin Schmiesing and Mike Aquilina, A Catholic Pilgrimage through American History — Broader context for Santa Fe's place within the larger story of American Catholicism, tracing the faith's growth from colonial missions to the present.
🎥 Recommended Videos
Hidden Treasures: St. Francis Cathedral Basilica — A ten-minute tour of the Cathedral Basilica's interior art, La Conquistadora Chapel, and architectural details, including the Bishop Lamy tomb and the papal insignia of the Minor Basilica. Forgotten Loves channel, March 2025.
The Mystery of the Staircase at Loretto Chapel — Documentary investigation of the Miraculous Staircase: its engineering, the unknown carpenter, the wood species analysis, and the theological significance the Sisters attributed to it. Armchair Investigator, 7 minutes, 2022.
🔗 Useful Links
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi — Official website with Mass schedule, history of the Basilica, and information on the La Conquistadora Chapel and confraternity.
Archdiocese of Santa Fe — Diocesan information, parish directory, and pilgrimage resources for New Mexico.
Santuario de Guadalupe — Official site of the oldest Guadalupe shrine in the US, with information on the art collection and visiting hours.
San Miguel Chapel — History, visiting information, and Mass schedule for the oldest church in the continental United States.
Visit Santa Fe — Official tourism site with maps, seasonal events, and itinerary planning tools.
🥾 Pilgrim Routes
Camino del Norte a Chimayó — Santa Fe is the traditional starting point of the most important Catholic pilgrimage in the United States: the 30-kilometre walk north to El Santuario de Chimayó, the Lourdes of America. The route passes through traditional nuevomexicano villages and high desert piñon scrubland. Pilgrims walk it throughout the year, but the great gathering is on Good Friday, when up to 60,000 people make the journey on foot — many barefoot, many carrying wooden crosses — in one of the most dramatic acts of collective piety in North America. Route guide
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Chimayó (34 km north) — El Santuario de Chimayó, the "Lourdes of America," draws over 300,000 pilgrims annually to its small adobe church and its pocito — a pit of sacred earth believed to have healing properties. The site is bound to Santa Fe by the Holy Week pilgrimage walk and by the shared history of the Spanish colonial faith in northern New Mexico.
🪶 Closing Reflection
"The first beginnings of the faith in this area go back to the time of the first Spanish missionaries who came from Mexico." — Pope St. John Paul II, Radio Message to the People of New Mexico, September 14, 1987
