St. Joseph Apache Mission - Mescalero, New Mexico

(Photos/www.stjosephmission.org)

Destination: St. Joseph Apache Mission Church is a historic church in Mescalero, N.M., that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Masses are celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and “usually celebrated Tuesdays through Fridays at 12 noon in the side chapel,” according to the website.
Why to go: When Father Albert Braun, OFM, came to Mescalero, N.M., as a young friar in 1916, he saw a need to replace the old adobe church that served its Apache parishioners. But his work was delayed when he went to Europe as a chaplain during World War I. When he returned to New Mexico, in 1920, with only $100 of Army pay in his pocket, he began working to build a neo-Gothic stone church. With help from volunteers — ranging from an architect to his fellow friars — the church was completed using local stones and timber. It is undergoing renovation, a project that began in 1999 and continues today.
The mission is owned by the Diocese of Las Cruces and operated by Franciscan Friars of the Province of St. Barbara.
Accessibility: Parking is near the front door. The church is open daily and visitors are welcome.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are always welcome.
Info:  Address: St. Joseph Apache Mission, 626 Mission Trail, P.O. Box 187, Mescalero, NM 88340. Phone: 575/464-4473. Web: www.stjosephmission.org and https://sbfranciscans.org/ministry/st-joseph-apache-mission

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
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