Artwork Graces Local Churches

Valencia County is rich with art, filling galleries, museums and studios.

A location that might be overlooked, but often offers a variety of wonderful and historically significant pieces, is your neighborhood church.

Upon the arrival of Catholic missionaries to the region in the 1600s, churches soon dotted the landscape, establishing a way of life for many. John Taylor, a Peralta resident, historian and author of “Catholics Along the Rio Grande,” described them as, “the center of the community.”

Taylor says that when parishioners wanted to express themselves in the church, they included items that were personally significant, “statues that represented their family, statues that represented their occupation.”

The art in the churches is “a reflection of the culture that the parish community established,” Taylor said.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

In Peralta, Father Emmanual UC Izuka, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, says this “reflection” connects the community.

“It reminds us of our heroes in faith who showed an example,” Izuka said. “We want to embrace their lifestyle, what they accomplished in their life.”

The artistry at Our Lady of Guadalupe is abundant and historic.

“We’re so blessed to be able to have these items in our church,” said Dulemia Espinoza, church volunteer.

The Stations of the Cross on the walls inside the church are chromolithographs, “ordered from a catalogue that supplied Catholic churches in the 19th century,” Taylor said. “They were painted in Germany and then lithographed.”

In the back of the sanctuary is a large, carved altar screen with several retablos, devotional paintings, inside. The late Carlos Otero, a member of the parish and internationally-known santero, created the work during a church restoration in 2005-06.

The altar screen unites local history and geography, Taylor explained. The centerpiece, a crucifix on a hill, is modeled after Tomé Hill. The panels feature St. Anne, St. Juan Diego, St. Isidro and Santo Nino de Atocha, each with a special meaning to parishioners.

For example, St. Isidro is the patron saint of farmers, fitting for a rural area. Santo Nino, patron saint of prisoners, represents several church members captured during World War II and forced on the Bataan Death March.

Our Lady of Belen Church

Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church has undergone major changes, including the demolition of the church in 1972 because of structural issues; however, remnants of the past remain.

“We have oil paintings hanging inside our church walls from our previous church,” said parishioner Connie Baca, a self-described history buff.

Baca says the paintings have been restored, but efforts to pinpoint the name of the artist have been unsuccessful. After the previous church was torn down, she said many statues and paintings were returned to the families who donated them.

As for others that didn’t have a home, “Since they are blessed, the only (proper) way to dispose of them is to bury them,” Baca said, adding that a specific location was designated. “I heard people went to retrieve some items before they were buried.”

One item that was recently retrieved, according to one parishioner, was a handmade crucifix several feet tall. It was stolen decades ago but returned after an apparent case of guilt.

Immaculate Conception Church

There are so many noteworthy pieces of art and artifacts at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Tomé that a museum at the church was created to house dozens and dozens of pieces.

Ramon Torres, a church parishioner and local historian, said, “We have some stuff that dates back to the 1750s.”

Torres said the statue known as Christ in the Coffin inside Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is etched with the date 1722 and was brought from Mexico. Taylor believes it is the oldest statue in Valencia County.

According to legend, parishioners tried to move the statue during a flood, but it wouldn’t budge.

“It’s not that heavy, but they couldn’t move it. It was stuck somehow,” said Torres. “It was a miracle. He wanted to stay there.”

Protecting artwork is challenging. Torres describes a series of paintings by a Tomé artist from the 1790s that were darkened by soot from a wood burning stove used to warm the church.

“They are still beautiful paintings. The frames are beautiful,” said Torres, but they have been placed in storage because of the damage. “It’s kind of sad.”

Preserving the arts

“There were lots of things that were lost in the 300 years of the church,” said Torres about the long history at Immaculate Conception. Items would disappear during renovations or were misplaced when new artwork was purchased.

There are also stories of how some compositions were “appropriated” by church leaders in Santa Fe.

Taylor tells of a disappearance with a happy ending. After a flood, a statue of the Blessed Mother vanished from Our Lady of Guadalupe in Los Chavez, a mission church of Our Lady of Belen. The statue was later found in the brush by the Rio Grande.

“The people rescued it and restored it,” Taylor said. “It’s now on display in Los Chavez, and it’s a gorgeous piece of work by Antonio Silva.”

PHOTOS: Artwork Graces Local Churches

It appears Valencia County and surrounding area is in a good place for religious art. Many churches have memorable works, including Protestant denominations and St. Augustine in Isleta, which features a shrine dedicated to St. Kateri, the first Native American saint.

Local artists continue to be immersed in their passion, including Marie Luna, of Los Lunas, who started painting retablos in 2001. Her curiosity about religious art was first triggered by seeing paintings in church as a young girl.

“They were so colorful and vivid,” Luna said.

While attending Spanish Market in Santa Fe more than 20 years ago, “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I saw so much beautiful art,” Luna recalled. “I thought, ‘Oh gosh, I want to do this.’”

Retablos are devotional paintings depicting divine icons and symbols, particularly Catholic patron saints, which are often turned to in times of need or to express gratitude for a blessing.

They’ve become full-time work for Luna, who appreciates her mentors through the years.

“It’s important to pass this tradition on,” she said. “I’m happy to see a lot of artists around here.”