Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy Statue Postcard

A statue of Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy stands in front of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This statue was dedicated in 1925. The cathedral was built by Bishop Lamy between 1869 and 1885 on the site of older Catholic churches dating back to the 1600s. He was a French Roman Catholic priest who served as the first Archbishop of Santa Fe. Willa Cather's novel "Death Comes for the Archbishop" is based on his life and career. Lamy was also responsible for the construction of the nearby Loretto Chapel. As a missionary in North America, Lamy served at several missions in Ohio and Kentucky until he was named Archbishop of the new Apostolic Vicariate of New Mexico. After an arduous journey on primitive transportation, Lamy reached Santa Fe in the summer of 1851. Lamy died in 1888 and is buried under the sanctuary floor of the basilica. The village of Lamy, New Mexico was named after him near the source of the sandstone for the Cathedral.