Only God knows 130 years later, who built the Miraculous Staircase inside the Loretto Chapel of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to marvel at the mysterious structure, and many more come in pilgrimage to celebrate the miracle. The people of Santa Fe in 1898 believe it was St. Joseph, himself, who was sent by God to help the Sisters of Loretto. The story is so mysterious that it has been reported on Unsolved Mysteries and in a television movie titled The Staircase, with Barbara Hershey. The first time I saw the movie Lillies of the Field with Sidney Poitier, I thought of the Loretto Chapel.
The Miracles of the 1898 Staircase Built in the Loretta Chapel
The 33-step spiral staircase has no center support.
It has two 360-degree spirals with no visible support.
There are no nails, screws or glue used in the construction, only wooden pegs.
Nobody has ever been able to identify the type of wood used to build the staircase.
Each piece of hardwood is spliced in seven inside places and nine outside places to form a perfect curve.
Every lumberyard in New Mexico was questioned, and none found invoices.
The builder’s identity has never been known.
The builder left after completing the project without waiting for his pay.
The Story of the Miraculous Staircase
In 1852, seven Sisters of Loretto crossed the plains from the Kentucky home to reach the southwest Land of Enchantment. Along the way, one of the sisters died and was buried in Kansas. Another of the sisters fell ill and returned to Kentucky. After several months, the five remaining sisters arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico and opened their first academy for girls in 1853. For twenty years, the sisters served their mission and in 1873, the Archbishop suggested a chapel be built. “Our Lady of the Light” chapel took almost five years to complete. But, the builders made a drastic error in the chapels design.
The chapel is very small, 25 feet by 75 feet and stands 85 feet tall. The sisters realized that there was no way to get from the bottom floor to the choir loft overlooking the worship area. The architect, P. Mouly, intended to put an outside hallway joining the two areas, but that never happened. Mouly did not want a staircase inside the small chapel. The Superior Mother Magdalene consulted other builders for help and the only conclusion was to put a ladder along the wall for sisters to climb. This did not seem feasible, so the sisters decided to pray to St. Joseph for nine days.
On the ninth day, a man appeared at the chapel with a donkey and a toolbox. The man needed work, and the sisters were happy to accommodate. He announced that he could provide a suitable means of access to the loft, and all he needed was permission and a couple of water tubs. The mysterious man would soak the wood in the water and leave the chapel when the sisters prayed. Months later, the staircase was complete. The sisters were overjoyed and planned a big celebration to honor the carpenter.
The sisters were perplexed when the man disappeared without a trace, and without his pay. They ran ads in local newspapers asking for his return and his identity. In the meantime, builders, architects, and engineers marveled over the magnificent construction that appeared impossible to withstand any weight. When the unknown builder failed to return, the Sisters of Loretto declared it a miracle from God, and believed God sent St. Joseph himself, to help them fix their problem. They believed the 33 steps had significance because it was what many believe was the age of Jesus when he was crucified.
The design continues to baffle scientists, architects and engineers. None can understand how the staircase continued for 85 years to safely carry sisters to their heaven in the loft. I have visited the structure about six times while growing up in Albuquerque. I am not Catholic, but know that they view St. Joseph as the Master Builder. I am Christian, and as I stood and stared at the Miraculous Staircase, I was overcome with reverence and knew I was witnessing my first miracle.
While I feel God has given me my own special miracles in life, I continue to wonder in awe – who was it that built the Stairway to Heaven?
