The Mission Church of St. Ignatius—the center of Monticello’s traditional Territorial-style plaza—was built in 1869 by the founding families of Monticello.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces has determined that it must dispose of all its properties that can no longer be supported by a dwindling parish and a lack of priests—a situation the Church has had to confront all over the country. After several public meetings with church officials and submission of a proposal for stewardship of the historic church by the Monticello Canyon Association, the diocese has agreed to gift the building to the MCA for the benefit of and use by the community.
The MCA proposal outlines the logistics of how our community will accept this gift to provide for the careful and responsible management of the church into the future. To this end, the stewardship plan is aimed at:
Honoring the legacy of the founding families that built the church
Continuing the use of the church for community benefit by providing space for activities appropriate to the life of the canyon and its residents
Preserving the church as an important place of spiritual significance
The Monticello Church Preservation Project will address various structural issues with the church building itself—specifically, the church tower—as well as an upgrade to the waste system to bring the building up to code for its intended use as a community center. A new roof may also be necessary once the plans for the renovation have been completed and we have determined further needs. In addition, we need to raise funds for maintenance, insurance, water and power, and other operating costs.
Please let us know if you are interested in helping in any of these areas:
Building Committee: Help address all aspects of structural renovation.
Fundraising Committee: Brainstorm events and other activities and apply for historic preservation grants.
Vision Committee: What kinds of activities and events, both secular and spiritual, could be held in the church once it becomes a community center? How can we increase its potential beneficial use by residents?
History Committee: Research all aspects of the history of the canyon, for use in fundraising appeals, grant applications, and history-oriented special events.
Clean-up Committee: Keep the grounds around the church clean, the grass and weeds cut, and the interior of the building clean.
To accomplish these objectives, the Monticello Canyon Association is pursuing all avenues of fundraising, from individual donations here at this website, to direct mail marketing, grants, crowd-sourcing, and special fundraising events.