most parishes are requiring the community to
pay the insurance for the church. If it can’t be
paid the churches are closed down and then
they start to deteriorate. Money is needed.”
Graziano discovered this while doing the
research for this current book. Unlike other
books that focus on the history or architecture
of these places, Graziano decided to focus his
on the people. “I had in mind a book that would
focus on people in relation to churches,” says
Graziano. “Parishioners, caretakers, priests,
restorers—and on what is happening at historic
churches today.”
Graziano was so shocked by what he saw
with the condition of the churches and the
uphill battle faced by many of the communities
tasked with saving them, that he started a
foundation titled Nuevo Mexico Profundo
(www.nuevo-mexico-profundo.com). “The
purposes of Nuevo Mexico Profundo are to
raise funds for historic church maintenance and
restoration, to diversify the use of the churches,
to contribute to cultural enhancement and
economic development in rural areas, to
increase awareness of the need for historic and
heritage preservation, and to provide unique
cultural experiences in historic settings.”
For now, Graziano, with the help
of organizations such as Historic Santa Fe
Foundation, New Mexico Office of the State
Historian and the Spanish Colonial Arts Society,
has organized a series of events for the rest of
summer and headed into fall with all proceeds
going to help raise money for the churches.“The inaugural programs include concerts
in historic churches, a feast-day event and
tours from the Santuario de Chimayó to the
village churches in Cordova, Truchas and Las
Trampas,” says Graziano.
Graziano says one area in particular is in
desperate need of additional funding for the
churches. Mora County has approximately
16 such places in existence, the most famous
being San Rafael, which was built between
1862 and 1870 under the direction of Father
Jean-Baptiste Guérin. Guérin was a French
priest recruited to the area by Archbishop Jean-
Baptiste Lamy.
“To preserve our culture and save our
historic churches we must be creative and
think outside the box,” says Mora CountySan Francisco de Asís, Ranchos de Taos.