Smiley memories of a long visit from my mother when I lived in New Mexico. She and I traipsed about New Mexico together. On down times at home, she read a book while laying atop one of my very comfy hospital beds in the Alamogordo apartment, and indulged in a current food fave of the moment - undiluted Campbell's chicken noodle soup.
Another memory this post brings forth is that one of my photos of the mission church is in a book published in 2019: Historic Churches of New Mexico Today, by Frank Graziano.
The best memory is the solid beauty of the church itself, with its integration of our earth and of both Apache and Catholic spiritual and cultural elements. To have been there during Christmas was a gift.
The original 2012 post is here.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Mescalero, New Mexico: St. Joseph Apache Mission Church
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| St. Joseph Apache Mission Church, Mescalero, New Mexico |
The St. Joseph Apache Mission Church is a stunning construction, inside and out. It has a majestic presence that draws one's eye from Highway 70, as you drive through the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
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| St. Joseph Apache Mission Church, Mescalero, New Mexico |
The church has been undergoing a long restoration project, which is almost complete. A slide show of the church below.
About 350 families are members of the church.
My mother and I attended Mass today .... (I've attended Mass three times in two months in New Mexico, which is about the same number of times I've attended Mass in the last 15 years) .... the service was in English, but there were two songs in Apache.
After the service, the congregation typically repairs to the parish hall for refreshments. Today there was actually a full lunch comprised of tortillas, Indian bread, beans, cake, and various stews that congregants brought in. Delicious, and the church members welcoming.
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