tiyempo ang pagkaka email sa akin ng classmate from college about this Miraculous Staircase. hindi sha actually madadaanan sana sa roadtrip namin... addtional 2-3 hours ang nadagdag para lang sadyain namin itong lugar na ito. pero it's worth it... para kang nagtravel back in time pag napuntahan mo yung Old Trail Santa Fe sa New Mexico...
eto naman ay article lang na nahanap ko sa internet about the Miraculous Staircase.
In 1852, seven Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross left their Kentucky Motherhouse for the southwest's Land of Enchantment. Never did they dream that their rugged trip across the country would be so full of struggles.
The seven missionaries travelled up the Mississippi River to Independence, Missouri by boat. One sister could not go any further because of her health, and returned to the Kentucky Motherhouse. The others journeyed on with horses and a covered wagon.
As the nuns reached the Plains of Kansas, they settled down for the night, hoping to rest from their exhausting adventures. That evening, a band of Indians on horse-back surrounded the small camp and rode, furiously, in a circular formation, frightening the six sisters half-to-death. For some unknown reason, the Indians did not harm the nuns. The mounted Indians rode-off, leaving the sisters in peace - most certainly whispering prayers of Thanksgiving.
On that same evening, (the records from the convent-archives states that) one of the sisters died. This beloved member of the Sisters of Loretto was buried in Kansas by her companions, in an unmarked grave. The sisters did not want her remains to be desecrated.
After several months of travelling, the five sisters reached the City of Holy Faith, and immediately found a home in the center of town. Santa Fe, New Mexico, in those years, was a very small village inhabited mostly by Indians and Mexicans. At the invitation of the newly consecrated Archbishop Lamy, (the first bishop of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe), the Sisters of Loretto settled in New Mexico, opening their first academy for girls in 1853.
For twenty years the sisters educated their pupils in an elegant convent-structure, and in 1873, the Archbishop suggested that a chapel be added. It was to be a small replica of the "Sainte-Chapelle" in Paris.
Nearly five years passed before "Our Lady of Light" chapel was completed. And only then was it brought to the attention of the Mother Superior that an error had been made in the design of the chapel's choir loft.
The small chapel stands 25 feet by 75 feet, and reaches 85 feet in height. The high altar, statuary, stations of the cross, stained glass windows and pews all arrived from Europe. They were proudly put into place, but the beautiful choir loft was left unattached. The architect, P. Mouly, neglected to place a staircase in his design. He had planned to connect the loft with the second story of the convent-school, using an outdoor hallway. This was never accomplished.
The superior, Mother Magdalene, worried that a conventional staircase would take up an entire side of the small chapel. There were two other possibilities: using a ladder as a means of getting the chanters up-and- down from the loft, or, to start a novena to St. Joseph the carpenter, asking for a "heavenly" solution to an earthly problem.
On the last day of the novena, a gray-haired man on a donkey appeared at the convent with a chest full of tools. He asked to speak with the Mother Superior. He offered to build the sisters a staircase, but required one thing in return. The superior, who was properly introduced, was never to disclose the name of the craftsman. Mother Magdalene ordered her nuns not to speak with the gentleman, and, under no circumstances, was he to be bothered. The superior swore herself to secrecy, and even upon her deathbed, refused to divulge the man's identity.
Building the staircase was an effortless job, quickly accomplished. The sisters who anxiously watched the carpenter, reported that he used only a saw, a T-square and a hammer. They all observed (from a distance) the quiet man placing pieces of wood into large tubs of hot water.
The carpenter worked continuously, and when he had completed his chore, he went to report his accomplishments to Mother Magdalene. With great enthusiasm, Mother rounded up all her sisters, and they gathered in the chapel to inspect their new marvel. In the excitement, the carpenter disappeared. He never sent a bill.
Immediately stories began to circulate around the quaint village of Santa Fe, that Saint Joseph himself had come to the Loretto Academy to build the miraculous staircase for the sisters, and left before they could thank him. Visitors came from many states to view the spiral wonder.
Architects, carpenters, and disbelievers all wondered exactly who the craftsman was, and where he'd purchased his materials. Every lumber yard in New Mexico was approached and questioned, but to this day no one has ever come up with an invoice. No one ever found the name of the genius who built the steps to the loft. The many searchers did agree on one thing; the wood used in the staircase was foreign to the United States. Visitors from the Middle East have claimed that the hardwood used, belongs to them. No one has ever been able to identify the type of wood.
The staircase is twenty-two feet high, and has thirty-three steps forming two complete circular turns of 360 degrees each - without a center support. There were absolutely no nails used. The entire structure is held together with wooden pegs. The hardwood is spliced in seven places on the inside, and in nine on the outside. Each piece forms a perfect curve.
Professionals from all over the world have come to view this master- work, and never fail to marvel at its strength and beauty.
The steps were used each day for over eighty-five years. And as one climbed each step, a feeling of vertical movement was felt, as if the turns in the staircase were taken out of a large coiled spring. It is said that this springiness is a part of the secret of its creator.
There are the elderly Sisters of Loretto who beam with pride when they recall that Saint Joseph lovingly came to build them this jewel. Their trust in the written documents of their archives is unceasing. And there are, of course, the modern members who roll-their-eyes and think, "How can they be so gullible?" But whether one believes that the "Miraculous Staircase" is the handiwork of our sainted carpenter, or simply a gift from a generous artisan, it holds for all Americans, a rich and lasting history. Its beauty is ageless. Its strength, untiring.
The Loretto Academy closed its doors over two decades ago. Now, in its place stands the Inn at Loretto, a splendid adobe-style hotel. Out of respect for the miraculous staircase, (and those who believe in it), the owners of the hotel have allowed the chapel to remain.
pagkagaling namin dito tinanong ako ni bernardino kung naniniwala pa rin ba akong Miraculous nga sha...
sabi ko wala namang masama kung maniwala ka... subjective naman ang faith di ba?
