Mass Resumes At San Miguel Chapel

Cornerstones preserves historic buildings out of a deep respect for the role that they play in New Mexico’s cultural heritage. For many New Mexicans, a central part of that heritage is the rituals of the Catholic Church.

San Miguel Chapel has been an important, ongoing preservation project for Cornerstones since the early 2000s. If you read our Mud Blasts regularly, you know that Cornerstones has planned a solar project at the Chapel; we are now waiting on the solar panels, due to supply shortages.

Mass services at the Chapel went on hiatus at the start of the pandemic. Late last year, a group of Santa Feans formed a committee to restart them. Cornerstones’ Board Vice Chair Boni Armijo was a key member of this committee. This group efficiently worked through all of the details – not the least of which was finding a priest. Having found one, Mass now takes place in the Chapel on the first Sunday of each month at 4 pm.

On the first Sunday in June, I arrived at San Miguel to join this ancient ritual of the Catholic Community in what is believed to be America’s oldest church. Even though it was his fourth Mass of the day, Father Denis Kaggwa Ssenyonjo made his sermon specific to San Miguel Chapel by incorporating the significance of the Chapel’s long history. During the service, I wondered to myself, what does community mean at San Miguel Chapel?

The Chapel’s lengthy history brings many layers of community. Saint Michael’s High School owns the Chapel, so the Chapel’s community includes students, faculty, and alumni. The Chapel relies on a devoted staff and docent corps community. Santa Feans - both the committee that worked to reinstate mass and those who immediately returned to worship – are a fundamental part of the community. Together, all of these groups, form the backbone of San Miguel Chapel’s unique community.

The San Miguel Chapel community is open to all. Come on the first Sunday of the month at 4:00 pm – the next service is July 3 - and join this community.

Another Round Of Ryan Ranch Replastering

Just last month, we had our crew back out to the Ryan Ranch adobe in Joshua Tree National Park. Due to a fire in the late 1970s, these adobe walls have sat exposed for decades leaving them highly susceptible to erosion from rain and wind. Over the years, there has also been quite a lot of damage from visitors.

In 2021, we removed the deteriorated lime plasters and applied the earth plaster to the walls. Earth plasters–clay, sand, and straw–are traditionally used as a shelter coat to protect the adobes underneath while providing maximum breathability, or vapor permeability.

This year our work focused on applying another coat of earthen plaster. Guided by our Lead Plasterer, Angela Francis, the crew replastered the walls alongside local volunteers, NPS staff, and park interns. This training was intended to set up the park with the tools and experience needed to patch or work on the walls when needed.