There is a special aesthetic to religion in the South West. A starkness to the architecture and design, born perhaps from the struggle to survive in the harsh climate. Amazingly, some of the missions and churches have survived centuries. The San Xavier del Bac mission south of Tucson, for example. Founded in the late seventeenth century, the church dates from the late eighteenth. It’s hard to believe that the population in the area was sufficient to support the mission for the past two centuries. It is also a testament to the Franciscans who have continued to hold mass at the church and minister to the community for the past 225 years.
San Xavier del Bac
While some religious institutions continue to survive in the south west’s unforgiving climate, others struggle and contract. In Santa Fe the St. Francis Cathedral School represents the other end of the durability spectrum. Founded just 70 years ago in downtown Santa Fe, the, school closed about a decade ago. The school was repurposed as an arts school. But that too has closed. Now the property is for sale. Stay tuned for another otherwise unremarkable over-priced “boutique” hotel.
