160 Year Old New Mexico Church Reopens

A super old Catholic church in Pecos, New Mexico ... not far from Santa Fe ... that closed during the COVID 19 pandemic has finally reopened.

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is 160 years old. It was built in 1857 and is, almost entirely, still in its original condition. It's made of adobe, has no water or electricity, is lit solely by candles and lanterns and is warmed by a simple wood burning stove.

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, (Our Lady of Guadalupe), closed ... along with everything else ... during the COVID 19 pandemic but didn't bounce back as soon as other things did due to safety concerns about its structural stability.

READ MORE: New Mexico's Holiest Site

What Was Wrong With The Church?

Moisture and soil erosion led to a big crack in the south wall that had parishioners concerned about a possible collapse. Many would have thought the church was doomed but 4 sisters ... siblings, not nuns ... determined to save it, rallied the congregation and area residents.

What Happened?

The church's caretakers, (majordomos) - siblings Irene Romero, Lucille Quintana, Emily Ortiz and Mary Helen Biles - started a fund raising campaign to save the church. It, along with a grant from the Catholic Foundation, ultimately raised $175,000.

The sisters have done an amazing job of looking after Our Lady of Guadalupe but they realize they can't keep doing it forever. It's their hope that the next generation will soon step up to carry on their work. Something Emily Ortiz' son Anthony fully intends to do.

“It’s a part of our culture, part of our ancestry and, for sure, our responsibility.” - abqjournal

Hopefully, others will step up to help him. You'll find the church about 9 miles north of Pecos, off N.M. 63.