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San Felipe de Neri Church (Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri) is a historic church located in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city.
History
San Felipe de Neri Church replaced an older church built in 1706 during the founding of Albuquerque. The first church was built under the direction of Friar Manuel Moreno, a Franciscan missionary and one of the original settlers of the city. That church collapsed during the winter of 1792-93.
The current San Felipe de Neri Church was built in 1793 and was run by the Franciscans until 1817. Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy (1814-1888) of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe had the church remodeled to give it a more modern appearance, adding a pitched roof and Gothic revival spires in 1861.
In 1867, Lamy gave control of the church to Italian Jesuits. They built the Our Lady of the Angels School in 1878 and the Sister Blandina Convent for the Sisters of Charity in 1881. They also rebuilt the rectory in 1891 with a new portico and added a second floor. The church was handed over to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe once again in 1965.
Today, there’s a gift shop and a small museum displaying religious art and artifacts. They’re located in the former Sister Blandina Convent. The museum operates during gift shop hours when there’s a volunteer available.
Nave
Sen Felipe de Neri Church has thick adobe walls and a single nave. The altar and pulpit are made of wood but painted to look like marble.
Rectory
The rectory has a garden in front and a courtyard in the back. In the courtyard is a historical marker commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Domínguez-Escalante Expedition. It took place in 1776 and was led by two Franciscan priests, Atanasio Domínguez (c. 1740-1805) and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante (1750-1780).
