Religion, Art and a Cultural Mystery. April 24, 2025

St. Francis de Assisi Church

First stop today, St. Francis de Assissi Catholic Church in Ranchos de Taos. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, the church was built between 1772 and 1816.  It is a unique design, a marriage of traditional native designs with Spanish, after they’d successfully colonized the area.

It is sculpted of adobe, with massive flying “beehive” shaped buttresses in both the front and back, and has two front facing bell towers. Three simple white crosses adorn those towers and the church entryway. 

The interior has gorgeous Spanish carved woodwork, including an ornate altar which also boasts all kinds of original religious iconography.

The church is still an active center of community life, holding regular masses as well as special events, including a re-mudding of the adobe by community members every June.

Ansel Adams photographed the church for his Taos pueblo art collection and Georgia O’Keefe painted it several times. She described it as “one of the most beautiful buildings by the Spaniards left in the United States.”

I had the place to myself so was able to sit and meditate, then walk around studying the elaborate Catholic art.

Señor Lloyd Rivera at the Ranchos Plaza Grill

Next, I stopped into  the Ranchos Plazas Grill for one of the sopapillas which won them culinary acclaim from no less than Fodors.

Mine was light, fluffy, not at all greasy.

The only thing which might have improved it would have been the use of local raw honey instead of a honey bear squeeze bottle.

However,  the real treat for me was meeting Señor Lloyd Rivera.  Señor Rivera is a painter as well as founder of CHACO Voluteers of Taos, dedicated to creating equal opportunities for emerging Chicano/Chicana artists.

He wanted me to take his picture next to the piece he painted several years ago and donated to the Grill.

He also painted this picture of the Last Supper in the native rustic style. He wanted me to know that his painting of the last supper is the only ones he is aware of which depicts Judas with a gold halo like the rest of the disciples. He has also put the gold pieces in his hand.

“Judas is always thought of so badly,” he lamented, “but he only did what God asked him to do. Without Judas betraying Jesus, who he loved, there would have been no crucifixion.  Without a crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection. Without the resurrection, we would not have all been saved. Judas deserves respect.”

I agreed.  He then pointed out that he had included Mary Magdalene in his version of the last supper. She sits to the right of Jesus.

“She is always left out, but she is as important as any of the other apostles.” he told me.

He couldn’t have stumbled into a more enthusiastic student.

“I know,” I began, “Mary Magdalene was the apostle most beloved of Jesus.  For that, they tried to discredit her by calling her a prostitute.”

“Who cares if she was a prostitute?” he asked. “That would only prove that Jesus loved everyone. Just as we are meant to.”

“Yes,” I said, “but she wasn’t a prostitute. I think it’s important people understand that. In fact, in the 1960’s, the Church issued a formal apology for calling her one.

“You know,” I continued, “there is a Gospel of Magdalene which has been hidden for years. It was discovered along with the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940’s. It’s been authenticated. Jesus trusted her with some things none of the other apostles were told. Peter, particularly, was mad about that.”

He seemed impressed.  But no matter–he wanted to tell me about his organization.

“Listen,” he said, “look it up. I want to raise up the work of Chicano, Hispanic, Azteca peoples. We have been too long overlooked by fans of Anglo artists who have used our imagery. No offense”

Lloyd with Juan Salazar at their show,

“Visions Across Borders”

“None taken. I understand, ” I reassured, “I was talking with a friend last night about how weird it is that Taos, such a cultural beacon of art, seems to have so few featured indigenous artist galleries.”

“Well, I hope to help the young people of my culture change that.” he smiled.

At which point, the server brought him his to go order.

“I have enjoyed meeting you, Nyla,” he said.” I am Chicano/Azteca. You are Anglo. But it is no accident we met.  God wanted us to have this talk. He is bringing his saints together. You travel safely.”

And he walked out the door.

 Pot Creek Ruins and Cultural Site

Pot Creek Cultural Site is an abandoned 13^th century pueblo in the Rio Grande valley, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. It is really off the beaten path and few people in Taos seem to even know about it.

At one time, an effort was made to develop it by the Forest Service.  I came upon this old picnic table in an area clearly meant for picnicking. There is an old, cracked paved parking lot, but you can only get to it by climbing through a gate off rural highway 518 which is locked.

The site is the only known Anasazi pueblo site in the region. It is believed that at one time it was as large as the Taos Pueblo, featuring at least 400 rooms, a grand plaza, and ceremonial kivas.

There is also an area where there were terraced gardens for cultivating corn, squash, and beans. No one is certain why it was abandoned, but one theory is that there were significant battles between the Anasazi and the Tiwa Pueblo peoples which resulted in the Anasazi relocating to Picuris Pueblo. Another theory has the pueblo being destroyed by a fire.

In any case, it was abandoned, then covered by the elements over the course of five hundred years.

The area may not have been properly excavated but it got its name when Luria Vickery, a student archeologist from Southern Methodist University working on an advanced degree, discovered a trove of beautiful pot fragments within surrounding mounds in 1972. This is not a fragment, it’s a restored vase that sold for over $3000 at auction.

Some initial excavations followed, then in 1992, financed by the Forest Service under the cultural guidance of Picuris Pueblo representative and Governor, Richard Mermejo,

students uncovered the foundations for the terraced houses and this kiva, sadly now covered by ratty plywood. I imagine to keep stupid people from going inside. I did lift the lid to take a photo.Hard to see down there.

Someone did build that replica ladder, so its seems they had plans at one time to make it accessible. Still, for whatever unknown reasons, no further formal excavation work has been done.

I discovered information about this site quite by accident while researching landmarks in the Taos area. There was one slender paragraph discussing the abandoned excavation of Pot Creek written by a local who wondered if the more successful Taos Pueblo World Heritage business had anything to do with restoration stoppage.

This intrigued me so I immediately began finding out what I could.  Finally, I surfaced directions to the fenced in, locked gate surrounding the site. One local stated that the Forest Service looked the other way when respectful visitors snuck inside.

Here is the mound where they began reconstruction.      It’s hard to imagine that there are 400 units, with up to three stories, in this area. But with the aid of modern technology, they have images to confirm.

People were born here, married here, conducted religious rituals, died. Managed to make utilitarian storage and cooking vessels into works of art.

 And so it goes.