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Visit Colorado's Stations of the Cross

By Marcia Darnell

Getting Started

WHERE: San Luis is on Colorado Highway 159, south of Fort Garland and about two hours north of Taos, N.M.
WHEN: The Station of the Cross is open year-round, with no check-in. There is no admission charge, but there is a donations box inside the chapel at the summit.
ACCOMMODATIONS: El Convento, (719) 672-4223; Casa de Oro, (719) 672 3608; Depot Bed & Breakfast, (719) 672-3943; San Luis Inn, (719) 672-3399
INFORMATION: Sangre de Cristo Parish, (719) 672-3685; San Luis Visitors Center, (719) 672-3002; www.sangres.com;
www.colorado.com; www.slvguide.com

For those with deep spiritual beliefs, the Stations of the Cross is a journey that celebrates Christ's sacrifice, generates worship, and fulfills the soul. For us heathens, it's a nice workout with a bitchin' view.
San Luis, Colorado's oldest town, lies just a hair north of the New Mexico border in the San Luis Valley. It's a town in process, currently transforming from a sleepy obscure village to an artists' colony. Galleries, B&Bs, and a unique museum make San Luis a wonderful weekend getaway. It's like visiting Taos before the rest of the world got there.
The highlight of any trip to San Luis is the Stations of the Cross, which lies on a trail winding up a mesa on the edge of town. That hill is known locally as "La Mesa de la Piedad y de la Misericordia," the Hill of Piety and Mercy.
The desert trail is interspersed with bronze statues depicting the last days of Jesus Christ. The works are creative and passionate, serving as both religious icons and fascinating works of art. There are 13 figures along the trail and the mesa, with a 14th still on order. Local artist Huberto Maestas created the nearly life-sized works, commissioned by the Sangre de Cristo parish in San Luis. Maestas' gallery and foundry are in San Luis, too.
The hike is about three-quarters of a mile, and up 300 feet, leading to a summit of about 9,000 feet above sea level. For those with mobility problems, there's a road up the back of the mesa, so you can drive up and check out the chapel.
And that chapel is also a work of art. Perched on the mesa, La Capilla de Todos Los Santos (The Chapel of All Saints) was finished and dedicated in 1997. However, it looks older than the other buildings in town.
Local and regional artisans worked together to create an Old World house of worship, and succeeded.
The walls are thick adobe, whitewashed for a look of purity. Two steeples and a dome, designed by local architects Michael Bertin and Arnold Valdez, give the building balance. The inside seems small, cozy and simple. The pews were handcarved, and the aisle rug was hand-woven by local women. Absorbing the quiet atmosphere and the cool stillness, it's easy to imagine yourself transported back 150 years.
After meditation in the chapel, trek about the mesa for magnificent views. Hikers can trace the Sangre de Cristo range south into New Mexico. To the north lies the looming mass of Mount Blanca, one of Colorado's "fourteeners," mountains with summits over 14,000 feet. Closer is Culebra Peak.
Another building graces the mountain. A sickle-shaped structure with many windows, it's a good observation spot if the wind or cold are too strong to withstand. Built by the Knights of Columbus (from throughout Colorado) the building will be used in the future to post information about San Luis, the chapel and the stations. For now, it's a great observation deck. Another kind of spiritual reward is the panoramic view of the village.
Hikers can view the "vega," San Luis' communal pasture, where any resident can graze two animals for free. Also visible is the People's Ditch, the oldest communal irrigation waterway in Colorado. Disregard the cars and satellite dishes, and you're back in 1851, when San Luis was founded.
The town celebrates its existence every summer, with La Fiesta de Santiago y Santa Ana. This year's party is slated for the weekend of July 23 and will include booths, music, food, and fun.
The San Luis Museum is crammed with historical artifacts and depicts the many peoples who have called the area home. The facility also exhibits local artwork, including paintings, santero carvings, potters, weavers, and colcha embroiderers. Some works are for sale.
The museum also houses the Carlos Beaubien Theatre, which shows first-run movies on a very flexible schedule. If you're the only one there, they'll start the film for you.
For a more spiritual adventure, visit San Luis during the Penitente celebrations. At Christmas, the Penitente brothers hold a "posada," a procession, that re-enacts the travails of Mary and Joseph as they seek shelter for the birth of Jesus.
For still more fun, visit nearby Sanchez Reservoir, and Sanchez State Wildlife Area. Or cruise through the surrounding villages, including San Francisco, San Isidro, San Acacio, and Garcia. Each has a cluster of small homes surrounding a church, much as they looked when they were settled over 100 years ago.
San Luis has several small inns and B&Bs. One of them is El Convento, which is run by the Sangre de Cristo Parish. Guests can live like a nun for night, and wake to church bells. The parish is working on a new project, a walk to honor priests martyred in Mexico. Busts of the 27 saints are being created to flank the walkway. Like the Stations of the Cross, it will meld the physical with the spiritual for a uniquely fulfilling journey.

Marcia Darnell lives and writes in Alamosa, Colo. She freelances for several publications between seasonal adventures in the San Luis Valley.