1. San Rafael: Preparing the way for another 100 years
SAN RAFAEL — Preparations annually take place for many local fiestas, but the San
Rafael Centennial Celebration has 100 years to cover.
It will celebrate the history of family, community and church.
The Centennial begins Friday, Oct. 6, with 6-p.m. vespers, an evening prayer for the
archangel Rafael. With St. Michael and St. Gabriel, San Rafael is ranked in the choir of
Seraphim, reported Rev. Michael Kugler, Associate Pastor at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic
Church in Grants.
“Rafael” is the Spanish spelling of “Raphael,” noted Rev. Alberto Avella, who pastors
four parish communities in Cibola County: St. Teresa, St. Vivian, San Mateo and San
Rafael Mission.
Rev. Kugler said the feast of the archangels is celebrated for all three, which falls on
Friday, Sept. 29, this year; however, San Rafael Mission will celebrate the feast for San
Rafael during the Centennial Mass.
The account of San Rafael is mostly in the Old Testament, the Book of Tobit, Chapters 5
to 11, of the Catholic Bible, Fr. Kugler reported. Archangel San Rafael is alluded to in
the New Testament in the Gospel of John, Chapter 5, where the pool of cures was
practically replaced by the cures of Jesus, said Rev. Avella. Archangel San Rafael was
reportedly known to stir the pool waters where cures occurred. Finally, the Book of
Revelation shows the archangels as part of the seven angels who stood before the Lord
vowing to fight Satan.
On Saturday the procession begins at 11:30 a.m. at the south end of San Rafael plaza near
the post office with a horse and carriage carrying mass celebrant Bishop Donald Pellotte
of Gallup Diocese, a stream of 14 mounted horses with the Garcia family, Matachines de
Alcalde and former festival queens.
“For our annual fiestas in October, we always have young girls that run for queen of the
fiestas,” stated Centennial Chair Hazel Sandoval. She explained that the girl who sells the
most raffle tickets wins, but because of the Centennial, the committee elected to not have
a queen and invited former queens to participate in the procession instead.
A noon bi-lingual mass officiated by the bishop, local priests and former pastors will
include Spanish music, committee members said. The nine-member choir will sing and
later sing New Mexican music during the entertainment phase of the day’s events.
Sandoval, who has lived in San Rafael for 53 years, grew up there. She was confirmed
and made her communion at the Mission. She and her husband Wilkie married there 37
years ago, baptized their children and most of her grandchildren there, she reported.
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2. “We’ve been meeting for almost 10 months now,” Sandoval said. “People in the
committee have been really good about doing things.”
The dinner after mass will be catered by Ruby Marcus, who will cook donated beef.
Committee members envision people dining beneath a tent outside the parish hall where
mariachis will stroll and sing around tables and leaf-decorated poles.
Activities include booths, a jumper, face painting and pony rides for the children, and a
RECA booth for former miners who need to learn more about compensation benefits.
Entertainment includes the Coro Alegria, a local family choir; the band Brother from
Grants and Spanish singer Lalo Chavez, culminating with the raffle of cash prizes and
street dancing featuring local band Common Ground.
With only a $4,000 budget, Sandoval said people donated all of the food, many items,
decorations and their generous time and efforts.
The committee hopes to sell memorial plates to for a marble slab commemorating the
event. The slab would be dedicated next year once they sell all of the plates.
Committee members showed that by their participation in the Mission Centennial, families
and community history, even after one hundred years, will be reflected in historic
documents and family presentations posted in the Parish Hall. For example, Sandoval
shared some family history with the Beacon with a picture of her father David Chavez
dressed as a calvary officer as a movie extra in 1948 when the movie “Four Faces West”
was filmed in San Rafael and surrounding areas.
“It’s been interesting, but the members for the committee … the team, have been
wonderful,” Sandoval said. “It’s everybody’s hard, hard work that put this all together.”
By Ilene Haluska
San Rafael: Preparing the way for another 100 years
SAN RAFAEL — Preparations annually take place for many local fiestas,
but the San Rafael Centennial Celebration has 100 years to cover.
Generaciones de Fe en San Rafael
SAN RAFAEL — The history of San Rafael dates to approximately 1779 at
Ojo Grande, nourished by the Ojo del Gallo spring.
San Rafael Centennial Schedule
Friday, October 6
Ancient Way Festival to offer arts, crafts, history and sports
GRANTS and Highway 53 - The annual Ancient Way Festival, which
celebrates the history and culture of our region from Grants to Zuni to
Gallup, will open its activities today.
Ancient Way Festival Schedule
The following list of activities are provided on the Ancient Way Event
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