AmigosNAZ staff reports
The aroma of posole and menudo filled the air when Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces presented its second annual breakfast following the Mariachi Mass on Sunday, June 28 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Flagstaff.
Money raised during the breakfast will be used in the group’s Cultural Heritage Fund, which includes the renovation of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Cultural Center, aka “The Basement.”
Within the past two years the center has undergone a significant make-over including new drywall, painting, the addition of a mural celebrating the installation of the Our Lady of Guadalupe wooden statue, which was once localed in the old Catholic school in Plaza Vieja, and the initial installation of historical photos featuring the history of the church.
Future plans include installation of historical vestments and chalices, new flooring and new lighting.
Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces has sought to work with groups within the Catholic Parish to breath new life to the historical site, which became a chapel following the construction of the San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church on Route 66, which resulted in the consolidation of three former church sites in the city.
Those efforts have resulted in annual Mariachi Masses at Our Lady of Guadalupe, the annual “Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada & Car Show,” the lighting of luminaries at both Our Lady of Guadalupe and the lane leading up to San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church and the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe dinner at the center on Dec. 12.
Thanks to community members, volunteers and supports of Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces for making those efforts successful.