(Where Gumbo was #481)
Gumbo was visiting St. Francis Cathedral in the lovely city of Santa Fe. Congratulations to George G who was the only one who recognized where Gumbo was!
(Main entry doors to the Cathedral)
Franciscan Friars accompanied Spanish colonists who migrated north from Mexico City to what is now New Mexico in 1598. The Friars built a small adobe church in Santa Fe, replaced by a larger one in 1625 that was destroyed in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Yet another church was built at the site in the 1700s, this time named in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the city.
In 1850 Santa Fe received its first Bishop, John Baptiste Lamy. Lamy constructed the Romanesque Revival – styled Cathedral we visit today between 1869 and 1887. The Cathedral was built of locally quarried limestone.
(Life size crucifix in the Cathedral is several hundred years old)
The baptismal font, located near the center of the nave, is made of Brazilian granite….
The Cathedral has many lovely stained glass windows, imported from France:
Outside the front of the cathedral are statues of St. Francis of Assisi….
Father Lamy, the first bishop of this church…..
And Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), the first north American Indian to be beatified and canonized….
The interesting collection of outdoor art extends to the rear of the Cathedral. I was especially fond of this whimsical statue of St. Francis…
Another statue that caught my eye was this one, “Mary, Untier of Knots”….
Adjoining the church is spacious and green Cathedral Park, well worth strolling through…
The cathedral was elevated to Basilica status by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. It remains one of Santa Fe’s most popular landmarks and should be part of any first-time visit to the city.
