The History and Mystery of Loretto Chapel

By Michelle Shocklee

Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I couldn't help but be familiar with the famous Loretto Chapel. I recall at least one school field trip to see it, plus various visits to show it off to out-of-town relatives. Of course, kids don't always appreciate fascinating historical details or beautiful architecture the way adults do, so I can't say I was all that impressed with Loretto Chapel. That is, however, until I grew up and moved away from New Mexico. Funny how ones perspective changes as we grow wiser.

Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, New Mexico; photo Wikipedia

Perhaps some of you aren't familiar with the history and the mystery surrounding this beautiful chapel. Let me fill you in on the details.

In 1850, the first Catholic Bishop of the newly established New Mexico Territory, Bishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, recognized the need to provide education to young girls in Santa Fe. Mexico at that time, like many cultures around the world, offered education to boys but not girls. Lamy began writing letters to priests, brothers, and nuns in the eastern states asking for help to establish a school. In one of his letters he wrote, "I have six thousand Catholics and three hundred Americans." The Sisters of Loretto, a group of nuns founded in 1812 in Kentucky whose mission was to educate poor children on the frontier, eventually answered the call.

United States and Territories, 1850

Seven sisters were sent to open the Loretto Academy. Their arduous journey took them through St. Louis then up the river to Independence, Missouri. Unfortunately, several of the faithful women contracted cholera, and the Mother Superior died. Another nun was too ill to continue the journey and returned to Kentucky. The remaining sisters arrived in Santa Fe in 1852, but before their mission could truly begin, they faced yet another obstacle: the language. They would need to learn to speak Spanish before any mission or educational work could begin.

The academy opened in 1853 and grew from very small beginnings to a school of around 300 students. The campus covered a square block with 10 buildings, built with funds that included tuition, donations, and even money from the sisters own inheritances. By 1873, the sisters decided it was time to build a chapel for their students. They hired the same architects Bishop Lamy,

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe, NM
Photos: Wikipedia

now Archbishop Lamy, used to build the famous and beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi several years earlier. (On a side note, my dearest childhood friend was married in this church. 😃)

Architect Antoine Mouly and his son Projectus Mouly from Paris, France began work on what is known today as the Loretto Chapel. Undoubtedly influenced by the French clergy in Santa Fe, the Gothic Revival-style chapel was patterned after King Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, a striking contrast to the adobe churches already in the area. Stone for the chapel was quarried from around Santa Fe. The sandstone for the walls and the porous volcanic stone used for the ceiling were hauled to town by wagon. The beautiful stained glass was purchased in 1876 from the DuBois Studio in Paris. It was first sent from Paris to New Orleans by ship, then by paddle boat to St. Louis. From there it was loaded into a covered wagon and carefully transported over the Old Santa Fe Trail to its permanent home in the chapel.

Some of the stained glass in Loretto Chapel

The chapel took five years to complete. Unfortunately, Projectus Mouly, who'd taken over the project, passed away before a staircase to the choir loft could be designed. Due to the height of the loft (twenty-two feet high) and the small space of the chapel, a standard staircase would not work. Various builders were consulted, but none came up with a solution that satisfied the sisters. With no other options, they took the matter to St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Carpenters. What happened next is a fascinating story and legend. 

On the ninth and final day of the sisters' prayers, a stranger arrived with a donkey and a toolbox. The sisters explained their dilemma, and when he confirmed he could build what they needed, they took it as an answer to their prayers. The stranger set to work using simple tools and wood that is not native to the Southwest. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers.

The spiral staircase is truly a work of art. Unlike other staircases, it is not supported by a newel or central pole. No nails were used in its construction. It has two complete 360 degree turns, and the entire weight of the staircase rests on the bottom stair. The banisters were added about ten years later due to the difficulty of climbing the tall, tapered stairs with no railing. The two small brackets that can be seen on the outside connecting the stairs to the wall and pillar were added in the mid 20th century in order to provide more support and protect the staircase from negative effects due to vibrations from passing cars and trucks. The underside of the stairs were originally open, but was filled in with a horse hair and lime mixture painted to look like wood. Because of its magnificent structure as well as the mystery surrounding its builder, it is now referred to as the Miraculous Staircase.

The Loretto Academy closed in 1968, and the property was put up for sale. Today, Loretto Chapel is a private museum open to visitors as well as small weddings. If you're ever in Santa Fe, I encourage you to see Loretto Chapel and the Miraculous Staircase. You won't be sorry!

Have you been to Loretto Chapel? I'd love to hear about your visit! But even if you haven't seen it in person, what do you think about mysterious builder?

Michelle Shocklee is the award-winning author of The Planter's Daughter and The Widow of Rose Hill, historical sagas set on a Texas cotton plantation before and after the Civil War. Her historical novella set in the New Mexico Territory is included in The Mail-Order Brides Collection. Michelle and her husband of 31 years make their home in Tennessee. Connect with her at www.MichelleShocklee.com.




THE WIDOW OF ROSE HILL

Widowed during the war, Natalie Ellis finds herself solely responsible for Rose Hill plantation. When Union troops arrive with a proclamation freeing the slaves, all seems lost. How can she run the plantation without slaves? In order to save her son’s inheritance she strikes a deal with the arrogant, albeit handsome, Colonel Maish. In exchange for use of her family’s property, the army will provide workers to bring in her cotton crop. But as her admiration for the colonel grows, a shocking secret is uncovered. Can she trust him with her heart and her young, fatherless son?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078CN65FH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Angel Roofs: England's Forgotten Treasure

This post is brought to you by Janalyn Voigt.

Angel Roofs: England's Forgotten Treasure

Roof angel from Holy Trinity church, Blythburgh, Suffolk
By No machine-readable author provided. Mel Etitis~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ]

Most visitors to England are enthralled by the grandeur of the medieval chapels they tour. However, they often miss some of their most exquisite features. Tourists either forget to look up at the timber roofs, or else distance and poor lighting make the masterpieces of ornamentation that rest there hard to see. Built between 1395 and about 1530 and decorated with hand-carved angels, these ‘angel roofs’ numbered in the hundreds.

Hammerbeam roof of St Wendreda's Church, March, Cambridgeshire is decorated with 118 angels carved in oak.By David Iliff (User:Diliff) [CC BY 3.0]

Only 170 angel roofs survived into the present. That any remain is truly remarkable. Most were constructed in the 1400’s, a century that marked the Wars of the Roses and the formation of the Tudor dynasty. During the English Reformation that followed, religious zealots targeted all medieval religious imagery for destruction. Most church ornaments were destroyed. Some estimates put the amount of artwork destroyed at above 90 percent. Many of the roofs escaped this fate, however. The roofs lofted high overhead and out of reach. Besides this, some of the angels actually supported the roofs they graced. Removing them would have called for determination, courage, and coordination.

John Salmon / St Peter & St Paul, Cromer, Norfolk - Roof angel CC BY-SA 2.0

The large majority of angel roofs (75 percent) are found within the churches of East Anglia, most notably in Norfolk and Suffolk counties. Artisans unknown to us today carved the angels. Sculpted in great detail, the roof angels represent a variety of forms and styles. The tallest stretch 8 feet in height. Most are oak, although sycamore and chestnut also came into use. Colorful paint adorns many. A roof might boast hundreds of angels or only a few. They give a tantalizing glimpse of what medieval churches looked like.

Roof angels are the largest extant body of medieval wood carvings in England. They are a priceless connection with the past. Sadly, art historians and medieval scholars largely neglect these amazing art pieces and beautiful keepers of history.

About the Author

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Known for her vivid writing, this multi-faceted author writes in the western historical romance, medieval epic fantasy, and romantic suspense genres. 

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to garden and explore the great outdoors with her family.

Explore Janalyn Voigt's interactive website.

DawnSinger (Tales of Faeraven 1)

The High Queen is dying... At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. 

On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing'and the salvation he offers'into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender. Learn More>>

The Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem

Front of the Church of St. Anne.
Photo Credit: Berthold Werner, Wikipedia, public domain

Several months ago someone shared a video on Facebook of RoseAngela singing “How Great Thou Art” in the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem. Her voice, the acoustics, everything was absolutely mesmerizing. The caption read, “Singing in St. Anne's right by the remains of the Pools of Bethesda which is where Jesus healed the crippled man (!!!!) The acoustics in this church are coveted by churches everywhere but no one has been able to replicate it.”

I made a note of the post, knowing I wanted to do some research on St. Anne’s and watch more videos. So, today is the day, and I've spent several hours listening to the voices from St. Anne's. They are just as mesmerizing as I thought they would be.

First, here's a little virtual tour of St. Anne's as you walk in and how the church looks from the back and the interior. And, as a bonus, you get to hear the choir sing.

If you'd like to see more videos, just go to youtube and search for The Church of St. Anne, and you'll find several. It looks like people can just sing if they want to. Well, *I* wouldn't (ahem), but those with a voice like RoseAngela definitely should! :)

Built between 1131-1138 and located at the start of the Via Dolorosa (the Way of Suffering, and long held to be the path that Jesus walked to his cruxifiction) and near the Lions’ Gate, the Church of St. Anne is a Roman Catholic church in the old city of Jerusalem.

From a description on Wikipedia, “The three-aisled basilica incorporates cross-vaulted ceilings and pillars, clear clean lines and a somewhat unadorned interior. The nave is separated from the lower lateral aisles by arcades of arches. The high altar, designed by the French sculptor Philippe Kaeppelin incorporates many different scenes. On the front of the altar are depicted the Nativity (left), the Descent from the Cross (center) and the Annunciation (right); on the left-hand end is the teaching of Mary by her mother, on the right-hand end her presentation in the Temple. In the south aisle is a flight of steps leading down to the crypt, in a grotto believed by the Crusaders to be Mary's birthplace. An altar dedicated to Mary is located there. The Byzantine basilica was partly stretched over two water basins, collectively known as the Pools of Bethesda, and built upon a series of piers, one of which still stands today in its entirety.”

It is also believed that the church was erected over the location where Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary lived, so Mary, the mother of Jesus was likely born in this spot. Also, the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the cripple man (John 5:1-9) is not far from the spot.

The above descriptions alone are enough to make this church revered and holy ground, but the acoustics take even the normal hush and reverence that is found in churches and sanctuaries and amplifies it (pun intended) a hundredfold. It’s said that the sounds move across the open space and up from the grotto, and that there is a 5-8 second reverberation. Listening to the videos, I believe it.

There were SO many wonderful videos, but here is a short one that I enjoyed, mostly because it was obvious that Kindra didn't have to be listed on some program or have permission to sing. Her friends/family kept encouraging her to. I was floored. Her voice was so beautiful, and I would have loved to hear more. Much, much more!




The videos of people singing in St. Anne’s are awe-inspiring. The church is a destination point (almost a pilgrimage) for soloists and choirs the world over. Even just watching and listening to some of these audio/videos brings tears to my eyes and a reverence to my heart. I can feel and hear the reverence in their voices as they start to sing and realize the power and just awesome glory in that place.

And then I think of the hundreds and thousands of people who raised their voices in songs of praise in that church in the last 878 years. A huge majority of those were before recording devices, wifi, and worldwide social media. They sang their songs, those who were near enough to hear, enjoyed, praised, and worshiped, and then, like a vapor, their voices and the echoes was gone.

But, now, here I am, thousands of miles away, and modern-day technology lets me listen to recordings of people singing in St. Anne’s in Jerusalem.

Wow. Isn’t that amazing?

Back to RoseAngela, the amazing voice that led me on this journey via the worldwide web. I visited her Facebook page again last week and discovered that she and her husband just welcomed a new baby into their family this past July, and that she’s from Georgia. The video of her singing in the Church of St. Anne was recorded in 2012, but somehow resurfaced in 2016 and has over 54,000 likes, 170,000 shares, and 10,000 comments to date. She mentioned somewhere on her page that she didn’t know why the video suddenly took off again, but somebody somewhere needed to be blessed by it now rather than four years ago.

And now, I leave you with RoseAngela singing "How Great Thou Art" in The Church of St. Anne, Jerusalem.

Enjoy and be blessed!

175 years Legacy of a Church Plus a Give Away

Texas: Mission Field of Unreached People

Yesterday, April 10, First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas celebrated its 175th anniversary. What began as a few people with a missionary preacher has grown into what is now called a Mega-church. In years following Texas’ independence in 1836, Texas reigned as a Republic, not a state. Religious groups in the United States viewed Texas as fodder for missionaries.

With a $2500 donation from a Christian layman in Georgia, the Baptist Home Mission Society of New York sent a young missionary preacher, James Huckins, to Texas to organize and charter a church.

On April 10, 1841 the church was officially organized, and the first official minutes of the church written down with a grand number of twenty-two members. Elder James A. Huckins remained as pastor for two years. Many well known men in Texas history have served as pastors since those early years, through the Civil War, the turn of the century and on and on until today.

Methodists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians were already hard at work in the town of Houston. The Baptist congregation was small and met in homes much like the early churches seen in the New Testament until elder William M. Tryon came on the scene and saw the need for church building. Under his leadership the building was erected and dedicated on the fifth Lord’s day in May, 1847.


The church suffered through yellow fever and cholera epidemics, but continued to serve and grow even after the death of Tryon from yellow fever.

Even though Texas became a state in late 1845, Dr. Rufus Burleson came to Texas as a missionary in 1848. As part of the wild frontier, Texans were an “unreached people.” The gold rush in California in 1849 drew a large number of Texans to seek their fortunes in gold, but Dr. Burleson stayed on. He served as pastor through those rough times until he was called to be the second president of Baylor University. Under Huckins' leadership, First Baptist church had been instrumental in the founding of Baylor in 1845, and now Dr. Burleson would leave Houston for the university.

The church survived despite hard times without a pastor even through the days of the Civil War and the Reconstruction. Such things as women’s temperance, the type of services, music in the services, and splits because of differences of opinion did not defeat the church.

During the 1880’s, unorganized expansion and dissatisfied members leaving or withdrawing led to a high death rate of organized churches for almost thirty years. First Baptist survived and three new churches were organized in 1891, 1895, and 1896 with many members from First Baptist.

First Baptist built and dedicated a beautiful new brick building in 1880 with a tower and steeple that would rise 145 feet above the ground. Some difficult times came on the church, and Reverend Then in 1900 the magnificent building was destroyed in the Galveston Hurricane. With $8,000 a new site was purchased and a cornerstone laid on November 12, 1902. One humorous anecdote concerns where they met while the church was being built. Baptist were known for their ban on dancing, so with great irony, they met in a dance hall the fall of 1900 until they moved into the building in 1902. This building was damaged in another storm in 1915, but was repaired.


This is a picture of the church in 1900 before the hurricane.

In 1907, the church led in creating the city's first Baptist Hospital which became Memorial Baptist Hospital, a forerunner of the immense Memorial Hermann Health System of today. The people of the church were difference makers in their city. They left a legacy that is being passed on to future generations today.

Case of the Disappearing Organ

The most famous incident in the church history concerned a new organ. In the 1840’s, a generous donor helped purchase a new organ for the church. A particular faction in the church did not like the idea of musical instruments in the church although vocal music was highly regarded. The disapproval became so strong that the organ simply disappeared one day under very mysterious circumstances.

The whereabouts of the organ were unknown and finally members who bought the organ gave up on looking for it. Then Houston decided to dredge Buffalo Bayou to make changes for what later became the Houston Ship Channel. The one time offensive organ, after resting about 40 years on the bottom of Buffalo Bayou, rose to the surface. Now the organ’s sad fate was made known and once and for all solved the case of the disappearing organ.

Another amusing anecdote about the music is the fact that in the 1920’s, the churches strongly disapproved of choir robes. The ladies wore their finest clothes and did not remove their hats entering the choir loft. For Easter and Christmas, white baptismal robes were used with the women pinning artificial white roses to the front of their gowns.

The early music programs also made great use of ensembles, quartets and trios among the youth and children as well as adults.

Today music can be quite the controversy in churches as older groups want the traditions and complain because the organ is not used often enough and they don’t like the new worship songs. They also complain because the choir doesn’t wear robes every Sunday. Seems that throughout history, controversy of some kind has arisen in the church over music. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This is a picture of the church as it was in 1975 when the congregation voted to leave downtown and purchased land at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Loop 610 where it stands today.

Pictures and information from the Church History Book published in 1985

The Church on the First Sunday in new building 1977

Last month I posted a give away of my book WINTER PROMISE, but we didn't have enough to have a drawing, so I'm extending it to this month.

Leave a comment below about your own church to enter the drawing. If you tweet about the blog, that will be an extra entry. Winter Promise is the paperback book that will be mailed to you, or you may opt for a copy of my newest E-book release, Love Comes to Bluebonnet Inn. It's your choice.

Jolene Burns is the innkeeper’s daughter, in her late twenties and still single. Jolene’s mom and her friends are anxious for Jolie to find a good man and settle down like her brothers, but she is content managing the bed and breakfast and forgetting the disaster of her broken engagement. When a good looking male guest registers at the Inn, Jolie’s mother checks his marital status. She learns he is single and sees him as a prospect for her daughter. The young man, Clay Hill, is a writer who has come to town incognito to find seclusion to write his next novel under his pen name of Clive Hendrix. As the ladies go into matchmaking mode, Jolie conspires with Clay’s to escape the ladies’ endeavors. Despite his efforts to remain anonymous, the owner of the bookstore discovers his true identity and makes a big show of having a famous writer in their town, and plans a big book-signing event for him.  Jolie and Clay find themselves smack dab in the middle of the festivities and falling in love in the process.

Martha Rogers is a free-lance writer and the author of the Winds Across the Prairie, Seasons of the Heart, and The Homeward Journey series as well as the novella, Key to Her Heart in River Walk Christmas, Not on the Menu in Sugar and Grits and Christmas Blessing in Mail Order Christmas Angels. She was named Writer of the Year at the Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2009 and is a member of ACFW. She writes the weekly Verse of the Week for the ACFW Loop. ACFW awarded her the Volunteer of the Year in 2014. Her first electronic series from Winged Publications, Love in the Bayou City of Texas, debuted in the spring of 2015 and Where Love Grows Series in 2016. Martha is a frequent speaker for writing workshops and the Texas Christian Writers Conference. She is a retired teacher and lives in Houston with her husband, Rex. Their favorite pastime is spending time with their eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.