Loretto Chapel of Sante Fe Album
Loretto Chapel was built between 1873 and 1878.  The chapel was built
without a staircase to the choir loft.  The nuns of Loretto prayed a novena to
St. Joseph the Carpenter for a solution.  A mysterious man then came to the
church and said he would build the staircase.  He disappeared upon
completion of the staircase without pay.  The staircase was built with
wooden doles and no nails.  The original also did not have rails.
Looking to the back of the
church
.
The staircase originally did not
have any attachments for support
or railings.
The church is Gothic
and patterned after
Sainte-Chapelle in
Paris
.
A short history of the chapel.
The attachment at the top
and rails were added later
.
The staircase is considered to be
a masterpiece of workmanship
.
The north and south sides of the
chapel
.
Looking to the front of the
church.