Historic Mission Churches of Mora County
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Day trip to visit two historic mission churches of Mora County: San Rafael, in La Cueva, and Santa Rita, in Lucero. Despite changing economic circumstances that have pulled people away from these small rural congregations, strong historic and family ties have endured, and these churches have been protected. We will meet and be guided by the people who love and care for them. Appx. length of tour: 10:30am to 5pm. Wrangler: Jane Starks
10:30 am: carpool from Taos. Appx. 50 miles, 1 hour 10 minutes
12:00 pm: meet in front of San Rafael church, La Cueva. San Rafael is notable for its physical prominence and distinctive French architectural features. Our guide will be Joe Gurule.
1:30 pm: Depart for Santa Rita. Take 442 north to Lucero (15-minute drive). In appx. 5 miles turn left on dirt road. Tricky to locate—no signs, no numbers—but there is a big sign “Hay for Sale.” Lucero is 1 1/2 miles from 442.
2:00 pm: meet at Santa Rita, in Lucero, a very small community hugging Coyote Creek, but whose patron saint has drawn worshippers from sometimes great distances. Our guides will be David and Margaret Rael.
3:00-ish: return to Taos. There are two travel options:
1) Continue north on good dirt road (11 miles) to Guadalupita, then north on paved road 434 to Angel Fire and on to Taos. Total travel distance 56 miles appx.
2) Drive 1 1/2 miles back to and return to Taos via Mora. Total travel distance appx 55 miles.
If you’d like to come on this trip, email us at TaosMeanderthals@gmail.com.
Recommended reading, no—essential reading: Historic Churches of New Mexico Today, Frank Graziano. A comprehensive guide that is practical, scholarly, personal, and profoundly literate.
Also go to Nuevo Mexico Profundo. They are dedicated to the preservation and restoration of NM churches, and provide excellent tours.