Cristo Rey stands as a remarkable example of Southwestern adobe architecture. Designed by renowned architect John Gaw Meem and completed in 1940, the structure was built to recreate the style of early adobe churches in the region.
The church’s walls were constructed using 180,000 adobe bricks, with 123 local workers producing approximately 4,800 bricks daily during the building process. The roof features 222 native pine vigas (wooden beams), each supported by four hand-carved corbels underneath.
A centerpiece of the church is an eighteenth-century white stone altar screen, or reredos. This three-part sculptural piece had a complex history before finding its permanent home at Cristo Rey. It previously served in La Castrense, a military chapel, where it later faced use as an ammunition storehouse and courtroom before falling into disrepair. Architect Meem designed the church specifically to properly house this magnificent eighteenth-century piece of stone sculpture after its restoration.
The interior showcases traditional craftsmanship, with wood-carved details throughout including a balcony rail, ceiling work, and decorative corbels that reflect the skilled artisanship of the period.
