The Basilica of San Albino ( es, Basílica de San Albino), formerly known as San Albino Church of Mesilla, is part of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces
The Diocese of Las Cruces ( la, Dioecesis Las Cruces, es, Diócesis de Las Cruces) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States, comprising the 10 southern counties i ...
and is located in
Mesilla, New Mexico. It has the distinction of having originally been established in Mexico, but it is now located in the United States as a result of a transfer of territory in the
Gadsden Purchase. 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.
Appearance
The basilica sits on the north side of the town square, and is built of fired brick, with a belfry facade on each corner. There are leaded
stained glass windows depicting saints, and geometric designs line 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.
[ The church is surrounded by a low stone wall.
]
History
After the conclusion of the Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
in 1846, the town of Mesilla was established sometime around 1850 on the Mexican side of the newly established Mexican–American border, by refugees from former Mexican territory that had been ceded to the United States. A priest, Ramón Ortiz y Miera
Ramón Ortiz y Miera (commonly Padre Ramón Ortiz) (28 January 1814 – 11 March 1896) was a Mexican priest who helped organize armed resistance during the Mexican–American War of 1846 to 1848, and who was frustrated by the U.S. authorities in hi ...
, was appointed to be Commissioner of Emigration to assist in resettling these Mexican citizens. The Mexican government ordered the church established in 1852 to support local residents. The settlers soon constructed a church on the south side of Mesilla's central plaza. This first building was constructed of mud and logs, and dedicated to the Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
Saint Albinus of Angers (Albino in Spanish), who was born in Vannes, France
Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago.
History Celtic Era
The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who live ...
in 469.[ ]
Following the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, Mesilla and portions of present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico became United States territory. At this point, the church was transferred to the diocese that is now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe ( la, Archidioecesis Sanctae Fidei in America Septentrionali, link=no, es, Arquidiócesis de Santa Fe, link=no) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the southwestern region of the United States in ...
. The shepherd of this four-year-old diocese at this time was a Frenchman, Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy
Jean-Baptiste Lamy (October 11, 1814 – February 13, 1888), was a French-American Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Willa Cather's novel '' Death Comes for the Archbishop'' is based on his life ...
. Lamy was instrumental in the growth of a number of churches in his diocese. As part of this growth, a new San Albino church was constructed on the north side of the plaza with French architecture
French architecture consists of numerous architectural styles that either originated in France or elsewhere and were developed within the territories of France.
History
Gallo-Roman
The architecture of Ancient Rome at first adopted the ext ...
.
In 1872, the parish became part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Arizona, under another Frenchman, Rev. Jean-Baptiste Salpointe
Jean-Baptiste Salpointe (February 22, 1825 – July 15, 1898) was the first Bishop of Arizona and the second Archbishop of Santa Fe.
Early life and education
Salpointe was born in Saint-Maurice-près-Pionsat, Puy-de-Dôme, to Jean and Jeanne ( ...
. It was during this time, in 1876, that the first bell for the church was commissioned. In 1908 the current church was constructed on the same site. The church later became part of two dioceses after they were established: the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso
The Diocese of El Paso ( la, Dioecesis Elpasensis, es, Diócesis de El Paso) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in West Texas. Covering , it encompasses the Texas counties of El Paso, Brewster, Culber ...
in 1916, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces
The Diocese of Las Cruces ( la, Dioecesis Las Cruces, es, Diócesis de Las Cruces) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States, comprising the 10 southern counties i ...
in 1982.
In 2008, the in the Vatican granted minor basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
status to San Albino.
References
External links
* {{Official, http://www.sanalbino.org/
Mexican-American culture in New Mexico
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1906
Churches in Doña Ana County, New Mexico
Albino, Basilica of San
Albino, Basilica of San
1852 establishments in New Mexico Territory
20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States