Our Lady of Light chapel was built in the 1920s by members of the parish. Mayordomos were elected or appointed for the feast day, clean the church, prepare the altar for Mass, light the wood stoves in winter, and to collect diezmo (tithe). A candlelight procession and the singing of the alabanzas (songs of praise) preceded a dance.
The church was in the Cathedral Parish until 1947 when it became part of St. Anthony’s On The Pecos Parish, and was classified as a “mission.”
Carmen McGuinnis, a life-long Lamy resident, remembers when the church used to be open every Sunday for Mass. Father Otto Kirsche gave the sermon, and residents came in from the whole region. “I used to see everyone there,” said McGuinnis. “It was so pretty inside. It’s a beautiful place to worship.”
Carmen was baptized at the church in 1926, she married there,and funeral masses for both her parents were held in the church.
Carmen was baptized at the church in 1926, she married there,and funeral masses for both her parents were held in the church.
As the population of Lamy began to shrink, the
parishioners dwindled. By the 1980s services
decreased to one or two a year. Finally, the building
was closed to visitors due to safety concerning the roof.
We continue to learn more of the history and if you
have a story about the church, please contact us.
