Basilica of San Albino
| Basilica of San Albino | |
|---|---|
 View of front from Mesilla Plaza | |
  Basilica of San Albino | |
| 32°16′29″N 106°47′45″W / 32.27472°N 106.79583°W | |
| Location | Mesilla, New Mexico |
| Country |  United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://www.sanalbino.org |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | San Albino Church of Mesilla |
| Status | Basilica |
| Founded | 1852 |
| Founder(s) | Ramón Ortíz |
| Dedication | Albinus of Angers |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Romanesque |
| Groundbreaking | 1906 |
| Completed | 1908 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Santa Fe |
| Diocese | Las Cruces |
| Parish | San Albino |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) | Richard Catanach |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Georgina Lavery |
| Religious education coordinator | Julia Ruiz |
| OCIA coordinator | Richard & Janet Hinderliter |
 | |
Basilica of San Albino, formerly known as San Albino Church of Mesilla, is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces and located in Mesilla, New Mexico. It has the distinction of being established in Mexico, and is now located in the United States. The first church on the site was built in 1852; the current structure was built in 1906, and is one of the oldest churches in the region. Daily masses are held in both Spanish and English.[1][2]
History
After the Mexican-American War in the 1840s the town of Mesilla was started on the Mexican side of the newly established Mexican-American border by refugees from the old Mexican territory that was now United States territory. A priest, Ramón Ortiz y Miera, was appointed to be Commissioner of Emigration to assist in resettling Mexican citizens. These settlers arrived west of the Rio Grande River to establish Mesilla around 1850. The Mexican government ordered the church established in 1852 to support local residents. The settlers soon established the church on the south side of a central plaza. It was constructed of mud and logs, and dedicated to the Breton Saint Albinus of Angers (Albino in Spanish), who was born in Vannes, France in 469.[3][4][5]
After the United States, as order by the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, added portions of present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico including Mesilla, the church was transferred to the diocese that is now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The shepherd of this four-year old diocese was a Frenchman, Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy. Lamy was instrumental in the growth of the number of churches in his diocese. As part of this growth, a new church was constructed on the north side of the plaza with French architecture.[3]
In 1872, the San Albino parish became part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Arizona, under Frenchman, Rev. Jean-Baptiste Salpointe. It was during this time, in 1876, that the first bell for the church was commissioned.[3]
In 1908 the current church was constructed on the same site. It is built of fired brick with a belfry facade on each corner. There are leaded stained glass windows depicting saints with geometric designs lining the walls of the nave. The parapet between the belfries is much like a mission style. Both the interior and the exterior walls were stripped of their plaster during a renovation and stabilization in the 1960s. A memorial to parishioners who died in combat is near the front entry.[1][2]
The church later became part of two dioceses after they were established - the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso in 1916, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces in 1982.
In 2008, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the Vatican granted minor basilica status to San Albino.
References
- ^ a b "La Iglesia de San Albino". National Park Service. 18 Feb 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Historic Old Mesilla". Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
- ^ a b c "Basilica of San Albino". Basilica of San Albino. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ Hunner, John (2008). The Mesilla Valley: an oasis in the desert. Santa Fe, NM: Sunstone Press. pp. 15–32. ISBN 978-0-86534-627-7.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Breton St. Albino's intercession sought for many causes". Western Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 9 May 2010. [dead link]