|
The
best source for understanding the popular santos of New Mexico is Santos
and Saints: The Religious Folk Art of Hispanic New Mexico by Father
Thomas J. Steele, S.J. Santos and Saints was first published
in 1974 in hardcover by Calvin Horn Publisher, Inc., and later in paperback
by Ancient City Press, and currently by The University of New Mexico
Press.
In
this classic resource, Father Tom gives us several important facts about
New Mexican santos and their makers. We first discover the history of
saint-making in New Mexico -- which now is a centuries old tradition
(see, Four Hundred Years of Saint Making in New Mexico by LPD
Press). Next, we see its relationship to medieval Spain and the Renaissance.
It is through this historical consideration -- which includes the isolation
of the early European settlers (my ancestors) in a rare and unique land
-- that the distinctive look of New Mexican santos is rendered among
the most cherished, venerated and collected in the world.
We
also learn that making a santo is a holy action for the maker, and,
we are reminded of the importance of saints in prayer to Catholics.
An important chapter on the hierarchy of santos places God, Christ and
the Holy Spirit on the highest plane followed by the Virgin Mary, the
Angels and the Saints. The relationship of the early Spanish settlers
to the land and the spiritual world emphasizes the deep feeling of family
and faith. Dependant on the mercy and aid of the saints, these early
settlers overcame the greatest of hardships. So close were these people
to the saints, they named their children after the saint whose day it
was. Several options existed, of course, since there are several saints
for each day. I have been informed by clergy that since the Orthodox
Church and the Roman Church have so many saints, no once is quite sure
how many there are. As in the case of the Virgin Mary, Father Tom and
I have calculated over 5000 unique versions of Her worldwide. In Northern
New Mexico alone, Father Tom lists twenty-eight versions of Mary that
are very popular. [Note that although the Virgin Mary is more than a
saint in the hierarchy, we still refer to her as a saint. The same can
be true for Christ, who is sometimes, for example, El Santo Entierro
or El Santo Nino.]
To
list all of the saints would not only be monumental, it would also be
somewhat redundant. Other sites, such as my favorite – www.catholic.org/saints/
(a section of the Catholic Church’s site), cover hundreds of saints
in an easy-to-use format. What is most pertinent here, however, is a
listing of saint days in New Mexico that are particularly important
as listed in Santos and Saints. For more information, please
contact us by e-mail or by phone or check out some of the neat sites
such as the aforementioned or www.newadvent.org.
Now for the saints:
|
January
La
Sagrada Familia / The Holy Family January 6 or Sunday after
Epiphany. Of the family. Given to newlyweds as a wedding gift.
Santa Inés del Campo / Saint Agnes January 21 or 22.
Patroness of farmers, trees, flowers, crops, flocks, purity,
transients and runaways, of persons and animals lost in the
wilderness.
|
|
February
Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos / Our Lady of
St. John of the Lakes February 2
San
Felipe de Jesus / Saint Phillip February 5
San
Valentín / Saint Valentine February 14
La Huida a Egipto / The Flight to Egypt February 17
|
|
March
San Gabriel Arcangel / Saint Gabriel the Archangel March 9 and
September 29
San José de Arimithea / Saint Joseph of Arimathea March
17
Santa
Gertrudais / Saint Gertrude March 17
San
Patricio / Saint Patrick March 17
San
José
Patriarca / Saint Joseph March 19
|
|
April
San Vicente Ferrer / Saint Vincent Ferrer April 5
San Jorge / Saint George April 23
San
Marcos / Saint Mark April 25
Santa
Catalina / Saint Catherine April 29
|
|
May
Saint James the Less May 3
San
Miguel Arcangel / Saint Michael the Archangel May 8 and September
29
San
Ysidro Labrador / Saint Isidore the Farmer and
Santa
Maria Toribia de la Cabeza (the wife of san Ysidro) May 15
San
Juan Nepomuceno / Saint John Nepomuk May 16
San
Pascual Baylon / Saint Pascual May 17
Nuestra
Señora de la Luz / Our Lady of Light May 21
Santa
Rita de Casia / Saint Rita of Cascia May 22
San
Felipe de Neri / Saint Philip of Neri May 26
Saint
Joan of Arc May 30
|
|
June
San Antonio de Padua / Saint Anthony June 13
Saint
Vitus June 15
San
Luis Gonzaga / Saint Aloysius Gonzaga June 21
San
Acacio / Saint Acacius of Mount Ararat June 22
San
Juan Baptista / Saint John the Baptist June 24
San
Pedro Apostol / Saint Peter the Apostle June 29
|
|
July
The Festival of Veronica July 12
Nuestra
Señora del Carmen / Our Lady of Mount Carmel July 18
Santa
Librada / Saint Liberata July 20. The Patron of liberated women,
invoked for headaches, for the growth of stunted children and
for women wishing to relieve themselves of burdensome men.
Santa
Maria Magdalena / Mary Magdalen July 22. The patroness of women,
converts, hair stylist, perfumers and repentant prostitutes.
Santiago
/ Saint James July 25. The Patron of Spain, horses, horseman,
furriers, pilgrims, soldiers and the military. Invoked against
arthritis and rheumatism.
Santa Ana / Saint Ann July 26. The patroness of mothers, grandmothers
and women horse riders.
San
Ignacio de Loyola / Saint Ignatius of Loyola July 31
|
|
August
San
Lorenzo / Saint Lawrence August 10
Santa Clara / Saint Clare of Assisi August 11
Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion / Our Lady of the Assumption
August 15
Santa Rosa de Lima / Saint Rose of Lima August 23
San Bartolomeo / Saint Batholemew or Nathaniel August 24
San Ramon Nonato / Saint Ramond Nonnatus (the Unborn) August
31
|
|
September
Nuestra
Señora de los Dolores / Our Lady of Sorrows Friday before
Palm Sunday/September 16
San Jose de Cupertino / Saint Joseph of Cupertino September
18
San
Mateo / Saint Matthew September 21
San
Vicente / Saint Vincent de Paul September 27
Los
Arcangeles / The Arc Angels; Gabriel, Michael and Raphael September
29
San
Geronimo / Saint Jerome September 30
|
|
October
Santa Teresa de Liseux / Saint Therese of Lisieux October 1
San Francisco de Asis / Saint Francis of Assisi October 4
Nuestra
Sentora del Rosario / Our Lady of the Rosary October 8
Santa
Teresa de Avila / Saint Teresa of Avila October 15
San
Lucas / Saint Luke October 18
San
Rafael Arcangel / Saint Raphael the Archangel October 24 &
September 29
San
Judas / Saint Jude October 28
|
|
November
Todos
Santos / All Saints Day November 1
San
Marin de Porres / Saint Martin of the Poor November 3
San
Martin de Tours / Saint Martin of Tours November 11
Santa
Gertrudis / Saint Gertrude November 16
Santa
Cecllia / Saint Cecilia November 22
San
Andres / Saint Andrew November 30
|
|
December
Santa Barbara / Saint Barbara December 4
San
Nicolas Obispo / Saint Nicholas of Myra December 6
Nuestra
Señora de Guadalupe / Our Lady of Guadalupe December
12
Nuestra
Señora de la Purisima / Immaculate Conception December
8
Santa
Lucia / Saint Lucy December 13
Santo
Niño / Infant Crist Christmas
Santo
Niño de Atocha / Holy Child of Atocha
San
Juan Evangelisata / Saint John the Divine December 27
|
|
