Built
in 1866, the structure was a dirt floor adobe complete
with bell and steeple. However, the church had no ceiling,
which made for an interesting Mass from time to time
complete with birds dropping in.
The
first priest was a Franciscan named P.J. Munnecom, a
friendly and popular Dutchman whose great passions in
life were the church, the poor, poker, and real estate,
not necessarily in that order.
Some
of his close friends reported that Father Munnecom would
sometimes be so taken with the current card game that
he would forget vespers until his impatient parishioners
rang the church bells.
Munnecom
would throw down the cards saying, "There go those
damn bells again!"
Eventually
because he spent more time swapping land than his flock,
Archbishop Lamy in Santa Fe decided Munnecom might not
be the best man for the job and suspended him from duty.
Having
made quite a sum from his business dealings, Munnecom
soon returned to his native Holland.
The
new priests who arrived in 1875 were Jesuits and when
they first saw the existing church, they were horrified.
They immediately began plans to build a new one.
On
land donated by an area rancher and a Jewish merchant,
the new church was dedicated in 1885 and was highly
regarded as the most beautiful in Colorado by many visitors.
The
outside of the building is much the same now as it was
then except for the Gothic Revival steeple which was
added in the 1890's.
A
peek inside reveals the 60 foot barrel vaulted ceiling,
beautiful stained glass windows, and wonderful bas-relief
stations of the cross.
by
Bryan Zug,
June 30, 1997
Sources:
"A
Walk Through the History of Trinidad" written
by Jerry Stokes on behalf of the Trinidad Historical
Society. 1986. Trinidad, Colorado.
