Brick by brick – Small NM town rebuilds its church

Eight years ago, while the small village of Questa, New Mexico, (just north of Taos) slept, the town’s church collapsed, due to old age and years of neglect. The sound of the San Antonio del Rio Colorado’s demise reverberated throughout the village. The majestic towers were broken into bits, as were the hearts of the villagers. Churches in New Mexico are the heart and soul of a community. So when the archdiocese recommended the church be torn down, the community decided to take matters into their own hands – literally. The villagers had virtually no funding. But what they had instead was their willingness to work hard and centuries of traditional building techniques that were passed on from their ancestors. They committed to rebuild the church themselves within six years — so the archdiocese acquiesced. With 100 percent volunteer labor and private donations, the village members, families and friends, set out to rebuild the church — brick by brick, committed to rebuilding and restoring the history of the village. “This project is even more special because we rebuilt this church the same way it was originally built — as a group of faithful community members working together and making decisions together to have a beautiful place to worship,” said Malaquias Rael, former Mayor of Questa and Spokesperson for the restoration committee...more