There are about 500 Catholic missionary churches left in northern New Mexico, and it will be up to future generations to save them.
400 years ago, missionaries began building mud churches in small mountain communities in New Mexico, filling them with elaborate trim made of local wood and coated with pine sap.
Today, these unique churches are under threat from population displacement, dwindling rural communities, and fading traditions.
“We are preparing to rebuild and rehabilitate the stones from which the churches are made,” said Jacques Barrow, program director for Corner Stones, a non-profit organization that works to restore these churches.
The Catholic Diocesan Foundation provides small grants for restoration, and several organizations have been established to assist in these efforts.
There are about 500 Catholic missionary churches left in northern New Mexico, and it will be up to future generations to save them.
