ABQ: Old Town Chapel

 





















ALBUQUERQUE

Old Town Chapel

Capilla de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has an "Our Lady of Guadalupe" church on Griegos road in Albuquerque. Not to be confused with the Guadalupe chapel in Old Town.

I lived in Old Town for quite awhile, starting the late 1990s, before I ever learned about the chapel. It's tucked away quietly behind the Albuquerque Museum to the east, and the Patio Escondido on San Felipe NW to the west. It's not located on a road, per se. Rather, it sits in the back of a patio area to the north of the main plaza and San Felipe church.

The small adobe chapel was built by a nun. It's been rumored to be haunted. However, many buildings in the Old Town Plaza have similar claims.

Until a recent fire, the chapel was cared for and visited by people day and night. It remained open through all seasons. At the entrance was a mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Visitors left burning candles and prayers with photos of loved ones.

In the back of the chapel was a more formal shrine to Christ with candles. Along the sides of the chapel were adobe benches and carved wood panels with words.

Read one of the panels:

MY SOUL

HATH DESIRED

THEE IN THE

NIGHT AND WITH

MY SPIRIT WITHIN

ME IN THE MORN

EARLY I WILL

WATCH TO

THEE