December 16, 2020 742 PM
RUIDOSA — Guests from far and wide are invited to the remote border town of Ruidosa on Friday for an intimate exploration inside the adobe church that once housed the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. And because of coronavirus, instead of joining in person, attendees will tour the historic structure with experts virtually on social media, from the comfort of their couch.
Friends of the Ruidosa Church, a nonprofit set to restore the adobe structure, are using the virtual event to reintroduce people to the building and begin fundraising for the planning phase of the restoration. “We need to take some time before we start putting shovels in the ground to do the research and planning,” said Mike Green, a volunteer with the organization who has a background in architectural restoration.
The group has a goal of raising $50,000 to fund a site analysis by an adobe expert and hire a structural engineer that can assess what types of shoring or bracing the building may need to continue standing proud in the border town. “There’s a lot of careful planning that needs to take place before we start getting dirty down there, so that’s what we need to fund, or a portion of it.”
Once the site is safe, they intend to fund a historic structure report – a detailed study of the site’s history and archaeology. They will also assemble historic accounts of the building and are hoping to speak with anyone who experienced the building when it was still functioning as a Catholic church.
Join the virtual tour on December 18 throughout the day on social media platforms @ruidosachurch on Instagram and Friends of the Ruidosa Church on Facebook, and contact them to share your stories about the building. Donations can be made at www.ruidosachurch.org.
