Hidden Gem of the Taos High Road: Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Las Truchas NM

Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church exterior, Truchas NM

Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church exterior, Truchas NM

Las Truchas, named after the trout found in its streams, is one of the small historic communities of New Mexico's Taos High Road.  This 56 mile road winds through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Santa Fe and Taos connecting the tiny Spanish Land Grant and Pueblo Indian villages in its path.  Initially built as a walled compound, Truchas was created in 1754 as a buffer to protect Santa Fe and Rio Grande villages from raids by roving Apache and Comanche bands. 

Las Truchas' church, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, was finished around 1805 and is still used for worship in the summer months.  It contains important altar screens (reredos) by famed New Mexican santeros Pedro Antonio Fresquis, the "Truchas Master", and Rafael Aragon. 

The adobe church is small and narrow, with a single aisle and wooden beam roof typical of New Mexican churches. A choir loft is present in the back of the church.

Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church, Truchas NM

Back of Church showing Choir Loft, Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church, Truchas NM,

The main altar, seen in the photos below, was created by the "Truchas Master", santero Pedro Antonio Fresquis between 1800-1818. The santero style was unique in the Colonial world for reasons I discuss in my  September 9, 2014 post  "Understanding New Mexico's Santos". ( Note that photos enlarge when clicked to better show detail).

Main Altar by "Truchas Master" Antonio Fresquis, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Truchas NM

Very top: God the Father- it is convention of place this image at the very top of altars.

Top row from viewer left to right:  San Juan Nepomuceno (St. John of Nepomuk, 14th century Bohemian saint), Our Lady of Carmel, Our Lady of the Rosary for whom the church is named, St. Francis, St. Gertrude the Great. 

Bottom row viewer L to R: St. John the Evangelist, St. Josep, empty niche, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Barbara.

The Latin inscriptions above the altar in the scroll-shaped pieces, Ave Maria and In Gratia Plena, are the opening words of the Hail Mary.  In front of the empty niche on the bottom row is a small bulto (statue) of the Crucified Jesus.

Bulto of Christ, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Truchas NM

Two beautiful bultos of the Virgin Mary are located on top of the front altar.

Bulto of Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Truchas NM

Bulto of Virgin of the Rosary, Nuestra Sen1ora del Rosario, Truchas NM

On a small table to the left of the altar is a bulto attributed to the Santo Niño Santero, who was most know for his exquisitely carved crucifixes.

Bulto of Jesus by Santo Niño Santero, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Truchas NM

On the wall the left of the main altar is a retablo by the famous and prolific santero Rafael Aragon, born in Santa Fe sometime between 1783 and 1790.  This retablo from viewer L to R shows St. Paul, Jesus and St. Peter.

Retablo by Rafael Aragon, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Truchas NM

To the right of the main altar, and seen below, is another retablo by Pedro Antonio Fresquis, this one dated 1821. Top: Trinity depicted as three men, a Colonial Mexican convention that was continued in New Mexican religious art.

Second row  L to R: the Crucifixion, Our Lady of Sorrows

Bottom:  Our Lady of Carmel, St. Gregory's Mystical Mass

Retablo by Pedro Antonio Fresquis, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Truchas NM

The Truchas church provides an opportunity to see images usually only found in museums (such as the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe or the city's Museum of International Folk Art)  in the setting for which they were originally created.  The retablos and bultos were not pieces of art, but liturgical art that was used in worship and very significant in the religious lives of the people of colonial New Mexico.  These images differ from the religious art you will see in other parts of the Mexican Colonial world for reasons explained in my Sept. 9, 2014 blog post.

It is difficult to visit the Truchas church since it is open only during the summer and then at limited times.  Special permission from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is generally necessary for admission to the church and photography is strictly forbidden, except with special permission which this writer was fortunate enough to obtain.  During the High Road Art Tour, which is always the last two weekends in September, the church is said to be open at certain times but it is best to check before going.

Chimayó: "The Lourdes of America"

Chapel of the Lord of Esquipulas, Chimayó NM

 New Mexico's  license plates proclaim bear the slogan "Land of Enchantment" and this is an apt description of the state in so many ways;  the land itself is beautiful and the culture is suffused with spirituality of both indigenous and Christian.  New Mexico has unique churches with religious art that is not like anything you will see anywhere else.  Among these is the Shrine of Chimayó with it's Chapel of the Lord of Esquipulas tucked back in the hills about 28 miles outside of Santa Fe.  It is a very peaceful, quiet, meditative place but it is also sometimes called the "Lourdes of North America" after the France's famous healing center because it is also a place where many come seeking miraculous healing. 

Chimayó is among the top eight Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in North America

and receives about 300,000 visitors a year; during Holy Week Chimayó is visited by some 30,000 pilgrims.  In 1970 Chimayó was declared a National HIstoric Landmark.

(Please note that all photos can be enlarged by clicking on them).

Chapel of the Lord of Esquipulas, Chimayó, New Mexico

The Chimayó complex spreads over several acres and includes meditation gardens, two chapels  and  an outdoor altar for masses.  The chapel shown in the photograph 

is the heart of the shrine.  Originally, it was a private chapel built between 1813-1816 by Bernardo Abeyta, a leader of the Penitentes, a group of devout laymen devoted to the Passion of Christ and to helping their communities.  The Penitentes grew up  during the time in New Mexican history when there were few priests in the area, filling the void left by the absence of clergy and keeping the Catholic faith alive for the people.  Abeyta commissioned the now-famous santeros Antonio Molleno, José Aragon and José Rafael Aragon to create the four altar screens (reredos) along the sides of the nave of the chapel. 

Christ of Esquipulas, Chimayó, NM

The photo above show the Christ of Esquipulas for whom the chapel was founded. There are differing stories about the origins of this very important crucifix.  One relates a miraculous finding of this cross by Bernardo Abeyta on Good Friday in 1810 while other sources claim that Abeyta had the santero Antonio Molleno carve it.  Abeyta himself was reported to have had an interest in the worship of Nuestro Señor de Esquipulas from Esquipulas, Guatemala, a devotion which is associated with the eating of a fine sand-like clay believed to have healing powers.  Chimayó similarly has "holy dirt" believed by many to have healing powers.  

"Pocito" with Chimayó's Holy Dirt

Altars:  

The chapel is a holy space for those who come there to worship.  Worshippers are surrounded by images of the saints and holy figures that form the center of their spiritual lives. These painted santos and statues (bultos) for them connect heaven and earth and through them there is access to the heavenly realm. The altarpieces  of Chimayó are classic examples of New Mexican santero art executed by masters of the trade. 

 The altars display two different kinds of santos:  flat-painted pictures (retablos) and three-dimensional statues (bultos). Although the santo is not the saint it represents it takes on in its holiness and functions as a kind of go-between the earthly and heavenly realms. 

Main Altar, Chimayó

Historically, It was their relationship with these santos  that gave the people of  New Mexico  a sense of control and security in their perilous environment. They turned to these retablos and bultos  in times of danger or need.  Scholar Thomas J. Steele describes the santos as "the parts of a power system that reached from heaven to earth and controlled hell" and listed 143 saints  prayed to by the New Mexican people. The relationship that people had with their santos was very personal. When a santo answered prayers they were rewarded (a fiesta or new dress for a statue) and when petitions were not fulfilled, a santo might be punished by being turned to face the wall.

 In the above main altar,  clockwise from the top left the symbols are: Cross with the lance and rod with the sponge, a heart and the four wounds (all symbols of Christ's Passion), Franciscan emblem- crossed arms of Christ and St. Francis, crown of thorns and three nails, symbolic representation of Psalm 22,Virgin Mary, grapes, a symbol of Christs' blood, Crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas, two angels, St. John, stalk of wheat symbolizing Bread of Life. You will also notice geometric designs on the sides of the altarpiece.

Entering the chapel the first altarpiece you come to on your left was probably executed 

by the santero José Aragon of Chamisal, NM.   

Altar by José Aragon, Chimayo, NM

The bulto, the carved figure behind the glass at the bottom center is the

 Archangel Raphael. Beginning clockwise to his left:  Archangel Gabriedl, St. Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of the Lakes, St. Anthony of Padua and in the middle center is St. Jerome.  At the very top of the altar there is a painting of God the Father, as seen in the photo below.

God the Father, Chimayó, NM

The second altarpiece you come to on the left was probably painted by José Aragon. At its top is an image of the Holy Trinity shown as three men that was very typical of the iconography of the time.  In the row below the top from left to right are Archangel Raphael, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Archangel Michael.  In the second row (left to right) are San Juan Nepomuceno, a large bulto of Jesus Nazareno and St. Joseph with the Christ Child. At bottom left is St. Anthony of Padua painted by Enrique Rendon and at the bottom right is St. Francis of Assisi by Horacio Valdez.

Altar, Chimayó, NM

Bulto of Jesus Nazareno, Chimayó, NM

At the top of this altarpiece is a representation of the Trinity as it is often and uniquely painted in Latin American, as three men.  This way of showing the Trinity had been outlawed by the Church but was nevertheless used throughout colonial Latin America.

Trinity detail at top of altarpiece, Chimayó, NM

Entering the chapel this is the first altarpiece you will see on your right was painted by

Antonio Molleno.  It is topped by the shell design characteristic of this artist.  In the top row from left to right on the top row are St. Dominic, the Cross of Esquipulas, and Our Lady of Sorrows.  I the bottom row are St. Cajetan, a bulto of St. Cajetan by Alex Ortiz and St. Francis Xavier.

Altarpiece, Chimayó, NM

The chapel's final altarpiece, which is the second on your right as you enter was painted by the School of José Rafael Aragon.  At the top there is a dove that represents the Holy Spirit.  In the top row from left to right are St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Joseph with Jesus as a child, St. Gertrude the Great.  In the bottom row, left to right, are St. Rosalie of Palermo, a bulto whose identity can be changed by changing the dress and St. Clare of Assisi.

Altarpiece, Chimayó, NM

Holy Spirit in the for of a Dove, Chimayó, NM

Jesus and the Penitentes:

Contemporary statue of Christ in Penitente Style

The Passion of Christ was the focus of the Penitentes and it is this striking statue of Jesus greets visitors as they enter the chapel.  The statues favored by the Penitentes were characterized by large hands as this statue very clearly displays.  The location of this statue directly after the entrance is more or less a mark of identity of the chapel as a Penitente locale.  This group was often at odds with the Catholic Church and in the latter part of the 19th century, the Church attempted to suppress them but in 1947, they were reconciled with and recognized by the Church.

Santo Entierro, Christ in the Tomb, is not unique to the Penitentes, and is a representation found in almost all Latin American Churches. 

 

Santo Entierro, Chimayó, NM

However, representations of Santo Entierro in New Mexico are very unique, because they portray Jesus waking up in the tomb.  His arm has moved from it's side and if you look closely, you can see his mouth opening.  This is not found elsewhere in Latin America.

Pocito:  Holy Dirt Room:

Sign inside the Pocito, Chimayô, NM

Inside a room to the side of the main chapel, there is a very small circular pit of sand-like dirt that is said to have healing capacities.  Visitors put quantities of this dirt in paper bags or other containers to put on ailing body parts.

Holy Dirt, Chimayô, NM

The room is quite small and only a few people can fit in at one time.  On the shelves that line the room are objects that pilgrims have brought as gifts.

Inside the Pocito, Chimayô,NM

Santo Niño Chapel:

The Santo Niño chapel is adjacent to the Pocito and it is where people post photos and bring gifts to express gratitude for hearings or hoped-for healings.

Photos of Pilgrims, Chimayó NM

Santo Niño Chapel, Chimayô, NM

Santo Niño de Atocha is a devotion that came from Spain in the 12th century.

Very briefly, there was a child who repeatedly showed up in a prison bringing food and water for the prisoners.  This child had not been sent by the families of the men and the belief came to be that this unknown child was the child Jesus. There is also a legend that there was a statue of Mary with young Jesus and that the child would repeatedly go missing and this was incorporated into the Santo Niño de Atocha legend. 

Santo Niño de Atocha, Chimayó, NM

Small Shrine that contains the Santo Niño in the photo above, Chimayo, NM

Chimayó is a place that is beloved by many, many people. Generally, photography is not permitted, but through an application process it is possible to get permission, as I was able to do recently.  The administration wants to make sure that the photos will be used in a way that respects the beliefs of the faith and treats the shrine with respect.

The Shrine of Chimayó is a beautiful, peaceful place that can be taken on many levels by visitors.  For some it is simply a peaceful, beautiful place, for others, an opportunity to see  important pieces of New Mexican santo art,  for the devout it is a place to pray surrounded by the saints to whom they are devoted and for those needing healing it is a place to come hoping for a miracle.    

There will always be skepticism about miracles, but we need to remember that the place where miracles happen is within people.  As a professor of mine who is also a Catholic priest once said about the Virgin of Guadalupe, the real miracle is what she does for the people who believe in her, for the hope she gives to them.  The same can be said of Chimayó.

Spanish Market and Mass, Santa Fe NM 2014 with Video

Booth at Spanish Market, Santa Fe NM

You can view my Spanish Market and Mass video at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7l_1RW_hLg.  In it you will see the santeros, the artists who make the holy images, as well as the religious ceremony in which the images are blessed.  But first, please read the background information that I have provided below so that you will better understand what you are seeing.

 Background: 

Spanish Empire in New World

As you can see from the map, Spain's territories in the American continent extended well into what is now the United States.  Some areas of what is now the United States maintain a strong connection with their Spanish Colonial roots; one of these is Santa Fe, New Mexico. After consolidating their territories in Mexico, the Spanish began to move north in search of new lands and in 1598 Juan de Oñate founded the first Spanish settlement in New Mexico. In 1610, Santa Fe was established as the capital of this area and is the oldest capital in the U.S. In 1680 there was a major Pueblo Indian uprising known as the Pueblo revolt and the Spanish left the area, returning to resettle there some twelve years later.

Once peaceably settled, the cultures of the area, the Hispanic and the Pueblo intermingled in many spheres- art, architecture, dress, food and worship.  The annual Spanish Colonial Market in Santa Fe celebrates the artistic culture that emerged from this encounter.

 Santo of Virgin Mary

Several art forms are represented at Spanish Market- santos, bultos, colcha embroidery,furniture and jewelry, but it is the holy images, the santos, also called
retablos and bultos (statues) for which New Mexican art is most famous.

Bulto of Virgin and Child mounted on donkey
(from the Biblical episode of the Flight to Egypt)

Virgin Mary saving souls from Purgatory

 The culture of religious images, of the santos and bultos first flowered during the 18th and 19th centuries.  Scholars point out that there was a scarcity of clergy in the region and that religious images played an important role in keeping religion alive for the people. These images still do this, as you will hear the Archbishop say in his sermon in the video, the santeros (makers of holy images) "have their religion in their fingertips".