Credit: Wiki Commons
Latino culture – for the most part – is heavily embedded in Catholicism. And worshiping Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, has an immeasurable value for many Latinos.
Agapito Medina, a northern New Mexico native, and his family decided to immortalize such devotion when they built Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and the Medina Cemetery in Las Animas County, Colorado.
The adobe church is a testament to the strong traditions and cultural practices of the early Latino settlers at the Medina Plaza, a small plaza located near the Purgatoire River in southeastern Colorado.
The Importance of Its Architecture for the Latino Culture
Common Catholic practices – which have significant weight to many Latinos – such as marriages, baptisms, funerals, among other practices, were carried out in the church for over a hundred years.
Similar to the structures in New Mexico, this Coloradoan church follows the trend of adobe construction that is popular in the Hispanic and Latino community. This type of construction was adopted because the walls are thick and help keep the cold out during the different desert climates.
Read more: The National Register of Historic Places Helps Preserve Latinos Experiences in the U.S.
Adobe churches are usually one and a half stories tall, have a metal roof, an open wooden steeple, and Victorian-era decorative ornamentations.
The modest design of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and its details speak to the history of Hispanic and Latino traditions in New Mexico. The church is also made with local materials. Traditional construction techniques were used, which embrace the Latino culture.
Fun Facts:
- In 2019, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and Cemetery in Medina was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The Purgatoire River, neighboring the Medina Plaza, means purgatory in English. It was named by the French to commemorate the Spanish explorers murdered by the Native Americans.
- Trinidad Lake State Park is 11.6 miles from Medina Plaza.
- Peaceful Peaks Glamping, a luxury experience where people can engage in activities such as hiking and cycling, is nearby the Medina Plaza as well.
Location: Las Animas County, Colorado
Address: Colorado State Highway 12
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