My road trip in New Mexico began in Albuquerque. I had two things I wanted to see in Albuquerque before the drive to Santa Fe. The first was the San Felipe de Neri Church located in Old Town Albuquerque.

This church was built in 1793 and one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. It has remained in continuous use for over 200 years.

The original name for this church was San Francisco Xavier, however, there is no Jesuit connection to this founding. The Franciscans established the church in 1706. Upon hearing the name selected, the Duke of Albuquerque commanded the name change in 1706 to San Felipe de Neri as a tribute to the Spanish king at the time, King Philip V.

The original building constructed in 1706 collapsed during severe weather in 1792. In 1793 a new church structure was built which is the structure that still stands today.

My next stop in Albuquerque was to the Tepeyac House at the Center for Actions & Contemplation. This center is a nonprofit founded in 1987 by a Franciscan friar, Father Richard Rohr.

I was introduced to the writings of Father Rohr while attending Faith Sharing sessions with the Florida Associates of the Sisters of Notre Dame and was reminded by one of the Sisters of its location when planning my trip to New Mexico.

I truly enjoyed browsing their bookstore and, of course, bought several books before leaving. I was given a short tour which revealed a remarkable find in the courtyard area that I will let you discover in the video below.

My first hotel stay was in Santa Fe, a one-hour drive from Albuquerque. I had three days to explore all that Santa Fe had to offer.

One of the first sites I visited was the Loretto Chapel. This has been on my bucket list for many years.

The Loretto Sisters arrived in Santa Fe from their motherhouse in Kentucky in 1853 to educate girls in the Spanish territories. By 1873, the Sisters began plans for the construction of a chapel. The design for the chapel was patterned after the Saint Chapelle church in Paris. This is a beautiful chapel but unfortunately is no longer part of the Catholic Church.

Following the closing of Loretto Academy in 1971, the chapel was deconsecrated and its property sold. It is now a privately owned museum. As I toured the chapel, my heart was saddened knowing that Mass would not be said in this beautiful place. At the same time, I was grateful for the new owners for preserving the interior of the chapel.

In addition to the beautiful altar, Stations of the Cross, statues, and stained glass, the highlight of the chapel is the circular stairway and the mystery of its construction. This mystery centers on an architectural marvel that appears to defy gravity and engineering logic.

By 1878, the only remaining structure needed for the chapel was the staircase leading from the main chapel to the choir loft. The architect died before this was completed. Whether or not the plans for the building included the staircase were never mentioned in its history. Instead, after the death of the architect, the Loretto Sisters were left to solve the issue on their own.

With nowhere to turn, they began a novena to Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the last day of the novena, a stranger arrived with a basic tool kit and offered to help. According to the legend, he worked without interruption and in complete solitude. When it was completed, he left quietly unknown to the Sisters.

The 20-foot spiral staircase features two complete 360 degree turns without a central support pillar or exterior wall anchoring. This structure defies traditional engineering because it was built without nails or glue, using only wooden pegs. The weight rests entirely on the bottom base acting essentially like a lightly wound spring.

When originally finished, the staircase did not have a handrail causing the entire structure to bounce and sway slightly when walked on. The wooden handrails were added in 1887. Wood experts later discovered that the staircase was constructed from an unidentified species of spruce that is not native to New Mexico.

Although modern alterations have been added to preserve the structure of the staircase, this is a marvel, mystery, and miracle that I was happy to finally see.

From the Loretto Chapel, I walked a short distance to the oldest church structure in the USA. The San Miguel Church was built in 1610. The original building and the beautiful artwork at the altar displayed another important part of history.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi was the highlight of my visit to Santa Fe. I spent time in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of this beautiful church and attended Mass on Saturday evening.

My last stop in New Mexico was Taos. As I was planning my New Mexico road trip, I found a YouTube video of a young couple who traveled from Santa Fe to Taos and discovered an interesting site featuring “holy dirt.”

El Santurio de Chimayo is a national landmark and a major Catholic pilgrimage site often referred to as the Lourdes of North America.

In 1810, Bernardo Abeyta found a glowing crucifix buried in the earth on Good Friday. Between 1813 and 1816, he built the adobe church featuring an adjourning room containing blessed earth where the crucifix was found. Over 300,000 pilgrims visit annually.

This site is so beautiful and offered so many altars, statues, and quiet spaces. I was unable to take pictures inside the special room featuring the “holy dirt.” As I entered the special area, there was a long room leading to another small room where the “holy dirt” was available. To the right of the long room as I entered were pictures of people who were being prayed for. There were so many military photos of men and women in uniform. The opposite wall was lined with crutches. At the end of this long room was a smaller room and in the center of this room was a large circle of dirt with several shovels. A beautiful altar with several paintings of Jesus, Mary, and other saints was also displayed.

Outside this special room, I met two women from Texas. This was the fourth time Maria was visiting, and she explained that during her first two visits, she and one of her sons received special healing from the dirt at this sanctuary.

As a Catholic, I certainly understand the importance of holy water. Several years ago, I was introduced to blessed salt. Holy dirt is a new experience for me. The Sanctuary of Chimayo is known as a place to pray and meditate and to experience peace of mind and body. I know you will enjoy the video below of the grounds of this special Catholic site.

When I finally arrived in Taos, my first stop was to the Saint Francis of Assisi Church. This church was built between 1772 and 1816 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

After visiting the church, I found the downtown area and saw a sign for a tour. Before I knew it, I was on a tour with two other couples to the Taos Pueblo. This was certainly on my list and what a great experience it was!

Taos Pueblo is an ancient native American adobe community in northern New Mexico. It is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. Our tour guide was a college student of Pueblo descent.

The Saint Jerome Church was a very beautiful site. Built in 1850, the church was named after the Pueblo’s patron saint. As we moved through the grounds, the tour guide took us to the remains of the original Saint Jerome Church built in 1619.

An interesting piece of history shared by the guide was that in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt seized 48,000 acres of ancestral mountain land incorporating it into the Carson National Forest. In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed legislation returning the 48,000 acres of sacred land back to Taos Pueblo. Today Taos Pueblo encompasses a land base of 99,000 acres in northern New Mexico.

On my last day in Taos, I went to Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. I then had a great breakfast at a local restaurant.

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was the last site on my list and what a beautiful site! The bridge was completed in 1965 and has been honored as the most beautiful steel bridge in the Long Span category by the American Institute of Steel Construction. I was able to get some beautiful footage along a path near the bridge that provided great pictures of the bridge and the gorge.

I truly enjoyed New Mexico and all it had to offer.

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Enjoy the video below. My next adventure will be to Sydney, Australia and New Zealand.