Where Angels Walk, Feb 10, 2012, Considerate Carpenter

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February 10, 2012

Hello, angel lovers. Time for another story about angels, God’s messengers. You may remember that I am cleaning my shelves by offering copies of my books published in other languages. This week, we have
—Quand Les Miracles Arrivent (WHERE MIRACLES HAPPEN), French, $15 which includes U.S. postage, and
—Enkelien ihme (WHERE ANGELS WALK), Finnish, $15 which includes US postage.
If you are interested in either of these, just contact me at joan@joanwanderson.com

I would also like to thank all of you who took part in last week’s discussion evaluating an article on angels. You were unfailingly polite, knowledgble and oiiteresting. We’ll have to do that again—anyone have an idea for a discussion question related to angels?

And here’s our story:
It was definitely a miracle, anyone could see that, but in those early days, such events happened only on rare occasions, and usually had no name. This miracle had its beginning in the 1800’s when a group of nuns journeyed by paddleboat and covered wagon from Kentucky to Santé Fe, New Mexico, to establish a school. Their surroundings were dusty and desolate, and the people mainly Native Americans and Mexicans. The Sisters of Loretto learned the Spanish language and became acclimated, while living in a tiny adobe house. Over time Mexican carpenters built them a larger convent, a school and an adobe chapel.

Eventually the chapel became too small for the flourishing community and in 1873 work began on a larger stone building. In honor of their founding bishop’s French background, Loretto Chapel would be the first Gothic structure west of the Mississippi river. Impressively large for southwestern standards, it would measure some eighty-five feet high, with a choir loft to the rear.

The work progressed well until it was almost finished….and the sisters realized that a formidable error had been made. There was no way to climb from the chapel floor to the chapel loft! A staircase or connecting link had been inadvertently left out of the plans. (There were obviously not many schools offering architectural degrees in those days!) Mother Magdalena, then superior of the nuns, consulted several expert carpenters but their verdicts were the same: a staircase was impossible. The loft was so high that stairs would take up too much room. There were only two alternatives: climb to the loft via a ladder (few of the sisters could envision this) or take down and rebuild the entire balcony— a financial disaster.

In typical faith-fashion, the sisters decide to make a novena to St Joseph, the patron of carpenters—-and wait. On the ninth and last day, a grey-haired man approached the convent, leading a donkey and carrying a small tool chest. “I’ve heard about your problem,” he told Mother Magdalena. “Would you let me try to build a staircase?”

“By all means,” Mother replied. It seemed somewhat odd that he carried few tools, she thought, but she was obviously no expert.

Despite their curiosity, the sisters promised one another not to peek inside the chapel until all was accomplished. Accounts differ as to how long the actual work took—six to eight months seems about right—-but eventually the man stopped coming. Mother went to pay him but he was nowhere to be found. Nor did the local lumberyard have any knowledge of the project.

But what a project it was! For when the sisters went to inspect the chapel, they found a graceful spiral staircase linking the loft to the first floor, cleverly designed to take up a minimum of space. It is constructed only with pegs—no nails. Each stair is made out of several pieces and is perfectly curved and fitted. The unit makes two complete 360-degrees turns, but since it has no supporting center pole or anchor for the sides of the treads, experts say it should have collapsed years ago. And the wood—it is not a variety native to the New Mexico area. Since the carpenter never ordered any supplies, where did it come from?

With some small changes and an added banister, the spiral staircase remains today as it was a century ago, a marvel of engineering, and a puzzle that no one can solve. (Loretto Chapel remains open to the public.) The sisters of course, remain mum on who the considerate carpenter might have been. But he left behind a holy place, and they continue to be grateful.