Historic Catholic Churches of New Mexico

Historic Catholic Churches of New Mexico

A Presentation with David Policansky

New Mexico’s landscape is strikingly filled with historic Catholic churches, which reflect the uniquely profound impact Catholicism has had on this state and its interactions with its Indigenous inhabitants. Why are there so many and what are their roles, past and present, in New Mexico? David Policansky, photographer and author, has a long-term mission to photograph all the historic Catholic churches in New Mexico. He has been throughout the state, on highways, back roads, and 4WD trails, from north to south, east to west, photographing these churches that reflect New Mexico’s complex history and beautiful landscapes, and talked to many people who attend, maintain, and love them. The photographs and descriptions of the churches (and the glorious art in some of them) in his four published books reflect that complex beauty and provide enough information for the reader to find each of them. They also reflect an urgency: many small, rural, historic churches in New Mexico lack funds for maintenance as rural populations decline, and some of them are at risk of disappearing forever. Churches in every New Mexico county are included, from San Juan in the northwest to Lea in the southeast; from Union in the northeast to Hidalgo in the southwest. The churches include famous and imposing ones like the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis in Santa Fe, and more modest ones off the beaten track like San Luis Gonzaga in San Luis. They cover not only a geographic span but a time span from the 1600s to the 20th century. Each church is unique, each has its own story, and each one claims the Land of Enchantment as home.

David Policansky, born in Cape Town, South Africa, came to the United States for his higher education. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stanford University and master’s and PhD degrees in biology from the University of Oregon. He has published more than 35 scientific papers. He also worked at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, where he contributed to about 60 published reports. He and his wife have long loved New Mexico, where they now live, attracted by its spectacular landscapes and diverse and fascinating history and cultures. David began photographing New Mexico’s historic churches in 2005 and has continued to do so, with increasing urgency as it becomes clearer that these churches do not last forever. This interest in New Mexico’s churches led to his four books, all published by Sunstone Press: Historic Catholic Churches Along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, Historic Catholic Churches of Central and Southern New Mexico, Historic Catholic Churches of Northeastern New Mexico, and Historic Catholic Churches of Northwestern New Mexico. He says that he is not a historian or a regular church-goer, but photographing New Mexico churches has deepened his appreciation of New Mexico’s marvelous cultural and natural landscapes, including the fact that the descendants of these Spanish/Mexican colonists have been here as long and are just as American as the descendants of the Mayflower pilgrims. He adds that when you consider the even longer history here of the Indigenous peoples, you can begin to understand the complexity and profundity of the factors that have led to the presence of these beautiful buildings all over New Mexico.