Missions and Churches

MISSION SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara, California Mission Santa Barbara -- also known as Santa Barbara Mission -- is a Spanish Franciscan mission near present-day Santa Barbara, California. It was founded on December 4, 1786, the feast day of Saint Barbara, as the tenth mission for the religious conversion of the indigenous local Chumash -- the Barbareño tribe of Native American people. The Mission grounds occupy a rise between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, and were consecrated by Father Fermín Lasuén, who had taken over the presidency of the California mission chain upon the death of the chain's founder, Father Presidénte Junípero Serra. Mission Santa Barbara is the only mission to remain under the leadership of the Franciscan Friars since the day of its founding.

MISSION SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara, California I took this shot to do away with the parking lot and all the cars. It gives it a timeless feel, although you don't see much of the mission.

PENITENTE MORADA Abiquiu, New Mexico Los Hermanos de la Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (in Spanish: "The Brothers of the Pious Fraternity of Our Father Jesus the Nazarene", also known as Los Penitentes, Los Hermanos, and the Penitente Brotherhood) is a lay confraternity of Roman Catholic men very active in Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. The men in these communities come together in the absence of a priest for the purpose of prayer, and to offer spiritual and social aid to the community. They gather in meeting houses known as moradas. Los Penitentes are perhaps best known for their songs of worship, called alabados, and for their ascetic practices, which include self-flagellation in private ceremonies during Lent, and processions during Holy Week which end with the re-enactment of Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday. They're very protective of their religious beliefs and practices. My friends and I were ushered off the property at shotgun point.

ST THOMAS THE APOSTLE CHURCH Abiquiu, New Mexico

EL SANTUARIO de CHIMAYO Chimayo, New Mexico Known widely as the "Lourdes of America," the soil at El Santuario as well as at other sites in the area was believed to produce a mud that, when eaten or applied to the skin, had miraculous healing powers. The crippled, blind, and those afflicted with other diseases came to be cured when all other treatments failed.

EL SANTUARIO de CHIMAYO INTERIOR Chimayo, New Mexico This is one of the few churches I ever sat in that I felt truly at peace and at ease. Even the padre nodded and smiled at me. This place is pure magic.

SAN JOSE de GRACIA MISSION CHURCH Las Trampas, New Mexico

PECOS MISSION RUINS AND KIVA Pecos NHP, Pecos, New Mexico Archeologists now believe this kiva near the mission may have been concurrent with the second grand church. (The remains of that church and two reconstructed kivas and may be visited at Pecos National Historical Park.)

KIVA INTERIOR Pecos NHP, Pecos, New Mexico A kiva is a room used by modern Puebloans for religious rituals, many of them associated with the kachina belief system. Among the modern Hopi and most other Pueblo peoples, kivas are square-walled and underground, but some like this one are round.

SAN FRANCISCO de ASIS MISSION CHURCH Rancho de Taos, New Mexico

SAN FRANCISCO de ASIS MISSION CHURCH Rancho de Taos, New Mexico This is by far the most viewed, painted, and photographed aspect of this wonderful structure. Even Georgia O'Keeffe painted this view, or close to it. The abstract geometry is unbelievable.

SAN FRANCISCO de ASIS MISSION CHURCH Rancho de Taos, New Mexico So I hung around and abstracted it even more, shooting totally with infrared film, even though it was drizzling rain. I can't believe it came out! What a lovely soft quality it has, which I don't believe would've happened with straight black-and-white film. I must get back to this place someday in the sunshine, though.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Alpine, Texas

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH Alpine, Texas

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Alpine, Texas

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Alpine, Texas

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas I was allowed access into the church by the cleaning lady, who also granted me privacy.

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH Marathon, Texas

ST PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Marfa, Texas

LOMETA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Lometa, Texas - June 21, 2003 This is where my father's memorial gathering was held.

MISSION SAN JOSE San Antonio Missions NHP, San Antonio, Texas

MISSION SAN JOSE San Antonio Missions NHP, San Antonio, Texas

MISSION SAN JOSE San Antonio Missions NHP, San Antonio, Texas

MISSION SAN JOSE San Antonio Missions NHP, San Antonio, Texas

MISSION SAN JOSE INTERIOR San Antonio Missions NHP, San Antonio, Texas

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Star, Texas Well, the little town of Star doesn't have much, but at least it has a church -- and a nice, modest one at that. You could probably fit the whole town in here.

CONTRABANDO CHURCH Contrabando Movie Set, Brewster County, Texas This isn't an actual church, but a part of a Western movie set. It looks like a church, though.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Bennington, Vermont This is a fairly typical New England church, which has an attached cemetery. Robert Frost is buried here. They call the church The Old First Church.

GRACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Rutland, Vermont Now here's what you think of when you think of a New England church -- a great white steeple. I'm here with my ex-girlfriend and her family for the baptism of her little boy

GRACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Rutland, Vermont

UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Isle au Haut, Maine It took me forever to finally locate this church on this tiny island, but I'm so glad I did. As luck would have it, the doors were open so I could do some interior shots.

UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Isle au Haut, Maine Owing to Isle au Haut's main lifeline -- fishing of any type -- I would have to say this weathervane is very appropriate.

UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Isle au Haut, Maine

UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Isle au Haut, Maine

UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Isle au Haut, Maine

UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Isle au Haut, Maine

SAINT SAVIOUR'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Bar Harbor, Maine

SAINT SAVIOUR'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Bar Harbor, Maine

SAINT SAVIOUR'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Bar Harbor, Maine Most of the stained glass in the church was done by Louis Comfort Tiffany himself.

SAINT SAVIOUR'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Bar Harbor, Maine Here we are again, with a cemetery on the church grounds.

SAINT SAVIOUR'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Bar Harbor, Maine The large statue at the far end of the cemetery reads, "Dedicated To The Sons Of Eden." Long before Bar Harbor became one of the most popular destinations on the East Coast, the town was known simply as Eden, or Eden Village.