San Francisco de Asís Church
HeyTaos · Free Guide
San Francisco de Asís Church
An 18th-century adobe mission church on the plaza in Ranchos de Taos, built by Franciscan friars between 1772 and 1816. It is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most painted and photographed buildings in the country, and it remains exactly what it was built to be: an active Catholic parish.
Built entirely from mud and straw sun-dried adobe brick, San Francisco de Asís still stands as one of the few original buildings in Taos. Its massive sculptural buttresses and twin bell towers have made it one of the most depicted buildings in American art. Georgia O'Keeffe painted it as "Ranchos Church No. 1" in 1929, the same year Ansel Adams photographed it for his first book, Taos Pueblo.
The parish also includes three outlying capillas: Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Llano Quemado, San Isidro in Los Cordovas, and Nuestra Señora de San Juan de Los Lagos in Talpa.
Before You Go: It's a Working Parish
This is an active Catholic church with a regular Mass schedule, not a museum that happens to be old. Visitors are welcome, but Mass and parish business take priority over sightseeing, and the building should be treated with the same respect you'd bring to any active house of worship: appropriate dress, quiet voices, and a willingness to step aside if a service or sacrament is underway.
The church sits inside an adobe-walled forecourt with a cemetery on the grounds. Treat both with the same care you would treat any cemetery.
Mass and Confession Times
Sunday Mass
8:00 AM, bilingual. 10:00 AM, English.
Saturday Vigil
5:00 PM, English, rotating between Ranchos de Taos (1st and 5th Saturday), Llano Quemado capilla (2nd), Los Cordovas capilla (3rd), and Talpa capilla (4th).
Daily Mass
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 7:00 AM, English.
Confession
Friday, 7:30 AM until the last person. By appointment: (575) 758-2754.
A National Historic Landmark
Construction ran from 1772 to 1816 under the supervision of Franciscan friars, making the church part of the same Spanish Colonial settlement period as the surrounding Ranchos de Taos Plaza. The plaza and church were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The building is a living testament to the Hispanic Catholic devotion that has carried these traditions forward in Taos for over two centuries, not a restored relic.
Plan Your Visit
Free Guide. San Francisco de Asís is featured editorially by HeyTaos because it's one of the most significant historic and artistic landmarks in the region, not because of any paid relationship. For Mass times, sacraments, and parish business, contact the parish office directly at sfranchos.org.