St. Michael’s High School is proudly named in honor of St. Michael the Archangel who is celebrated around the world annually on September 29, the Feast Day of San Miguel. The School will celebrate the Feast Day with a celebration at the San Miguel Chapel (401 Old Santa Fe Trail in Santa Fe, NM) on September 30 and October 1.
The Barrio de Analco Festival acknowledges the Chapel as the centerpiece of this oldest “Neighborhood on the other side of the River” as it is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States. The Chapel, owned and operated by the St. Michael’s High School, is the original site of the School before it moved to its current location on Siringo Road in 1967. The Chapel is known as “the Oldest Church” which still holds mass on the first Sunday of every month.
The Oldest Church in the US is believed to have been built by the Tlaxcalan indigeny from Mexico who were allied with Onate, the last conquistador. These Mexican settlers built the chapel at the crossroads where the Camino Real (north/south) trade route and The Old Santa Fe Trail (east/west trade route) meet. “ANALCO” is an Aztec word meaning “other side of the river”. Spanish officials, relatives and soldiers settled on the north side and the other settlers created their neighborhood “on the other side”, the south side of the river.
The Festival begins on September 30 at 9:00 a.m. with Mass conducted by Fr. John Cannon and continues with artisan workshops, tours and historical story telling. October 1 the celebration continues with the unveiling of the Historic Register Plaque at 10:00 a.m. followed by a performance by Danza Azteca. Below is a list of scheduled activities:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
9:00 a.m. MASS with Fr. John Cannon
9:00 a.m. Barrio Walking Tour with Christian Gian Saiia
9:30 a.m. Workshop on Santera Painting with Karen Hannegan
Introduction to Tin Work with Mike Rael
11:00 a.m. History of Chocolate featuring Kakawa Chocolates
12:00 p.m. Barrio Walking Tour with Tom Gallegos
12:30 p.m. Annex Restoration with Don Sena, Cornerstones Community Partnerships
1:00 p.m. History of Tlaxcala’s with Oliver Horn
2:00 p.m. Multi-Media Talk and History of Spirituality in NM with Ana Pacheco
3:00 p.m. Two Decades of Chapel Restoration with David K. Blackman
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1
9:00 a.m. Overview of Neighborhood and Community Relations with Laurianne Fiorentino
10:00 a.m. Historic Register Plaque Unveiling
11:00 a.m. Danza Azteca Ceremony
12:00 p.m. Closing Remarks