A COLLABORATION OF

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HISTORIC SANTA FE FOUNDATION

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NEW MEXICO OFFICE OF THE STATE HISTORIAN

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NEW MEXICO STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER,

HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIVISION

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CORNERSTONES COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

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 NEW MEXICO HERITAGE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE

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SPANISH COLONIAL ARTS SOCIETY

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AND PARTICIPATING PARISHES, MAYORDOMOS,

PUEBLOS, AND COMMUNITIES

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TO BENEFIT THE MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION OF NEW MEXICO’S HISTORIC CHURCHES

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NUEVO MEXICO PROFUNDO was developed by Frank Graziano, Rebecca Montoya, and Pete Warzel. The program objectives are to raise funds for historic church maintenance and restoration, to diversify the uses 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, to provide unique cultural experiences in historic settings, and to develop other initiatives pertinent to the heritage and cultures of  New Mexico.  Profundo is staffed by volunteers. The current board members are Frank Graziano, Susan Horn, Sana Morrow, and Pete Warzel.

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CONCERTS in the historic churches are informal gatherings that fuse the music and the ambience into unique experiences. Some of the events are candle- and lantern-lit (village churches often have no electricity), and many are in churches rarely seen by non-parishioners. The performances are generally preceded by informal church visits and by conversation with the musicians, and they are prefaced by a welcome and/or a brief talk on the church’s history and culture. Some performances coincide with feast-day celebrations.

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GUIDED TOURS first departed from the Santuario de Chimayó to the historic churches in Córdova, Truchas, and Las Trampas, and these tours continue. The High Road churches are particularly outstanding for their historical and cultural importance and their conservation of santero altar screens. Tours to relatively unknown churches elsewhere in  New Mexico were later developed: in Mora County, in the Picurís Pueblo / Peñasco area, and along the Pecos River. Inquiries regarding group tours are welcome. 

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Photo by T. Harmon Parkhurst. Church at Cordova, New Mexico, circa 1925 – 1945. Courtesy of the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives (NMHM/DCA), negative number 009037.

THE AUDACITY AND EFFICACY OF COLLECTIVE EFFORT

BY PEOPLE WHO CARE.