The aboriginal American name of the place which has become the city of Santa Fe was O'gha Po'oge which means "The Place of White Shells By the Water" or The White Shell Water Place in the Tewa language. It was known for its freshwater pearls. People have lived along this beautiful river since neolithic times. A sacred spring which helped feed the river was situated in a place where the first adobe church was built in the 1600s and later the Basilica St. Francis was constructed there. The oldest Marian Icon in the USA is kept in the Basilica.
The Basilica of St. Francis in Santa Fe was constructed during the reign of Pope Leo XIII. (pope 1878-1903). He also had a famous vision in which included an apparition of the Archangel Michael. He composed an often used to this day prayer to this angel. Pope Leo XIII's vision prophecy regarding Satan's 100-year test is a significant event in Catholic history. The prophecy, which occurred in 1884, involved a vision where Satan boasted to God that he could destroy the Church and was granted a century to do so. God reminded Satan that the Church was imperishable but granted him a century with increased power over those who would serve him. The vision included a prophecy of events in the 20th century, such as wars, immorality, genocide, and apostasy. In response, Pope Leo XIII wrote the Prayer to St. Michael, which was mandated to be recited after every Mass. Many believe the 100-year test, which began around 1914, ended in 1984, but the prophecy is interpreted differently by others.
The cathedral was built by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy between 1869 and 1886 on the site of an older adobe church, La Parroquia (built in 1714–1717). An older church on the same site, built in 1626, was destroyed in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. The new cathedral was built around La Parroquia, which was dismantled once the new construction was complete. A small chapel on the north side of the cathedral was kept from the old church.
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| Basilica St. Francis in Santa Fe, NM |
