Location Description and History

Tucked away behind quaint small shops in Old Town lies a small chapel, which, according to legend, is haunted by an apparition called the lady in black. This mysterious figure has often been seen seated on the far right bench of the chapel, weeping profusely for some unknown tragic loss. The ghost is dressed in a long black dress, her face concealed by a dark veil. She is often mistaken for a real person, and sometimes ignored, until she mysteriously vanishes. The apparition is not menacing or threatening. Those who encounter her have said that there is a deep sense of sadness that emulates from her. In some respects the ghost resembles La Llorona of Hispanic folklore but only in the sense that both ghosts are known to weep. The tiny Chapel of our Lady of Guadalupe can be found at 404 San Felipe NW tucked away in the Patio Escondido. The Chapel was selected as Site #6 for the Ghost Patrol research project (2003 to 2006).

Sister Giotto was the person responsible for designing and building La Capilla de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, which was erected in 1975. It was part of a larger project, an art school which she had established in 1969. The Sagrada Arts School eventually consisted of studios, apartments, the chapel, and even a restaurant called Joseph's Table.

Sister Giotto was born in 1927 and raised in Chicago where she attended high school at Chicago 's famous Art Institute. When she was 17, after listening to the boys coming home from WWII and praying for them daily, she had a conversion experience. She then entered a Dominican convent and studied in Florence , Italy eventually receiving her M.F.A. from Wisconsin . After returning to her alma mater in Florence , she held the position of Dean of the Art Department at Villa Schifanoia for 8 years.

Here is a typical story describing an encounter with the Lady in Black.

“I once visited the small chapel in old town late one evening to say a prayer for my brother, who was ill. As I walked into the candle lit entrance, I heard a woman softly crying. Her voice was coming from somewhere near the altar which at that time was shrouded in darkness. I strained my eyes and could barely make out the figure of a woman wearing a mourning dress. I then turned my attention to my own business. I kneeled at the shrine for our Lady of Guadalupe and said my prayer. However when I opened my eyes and stood up, I noticed that the woman was gone. The only way out was directly behind me and I am certain that I heard no one pass.”

Over the years there have been several speculations on whom or what the ghost is. One popular notion is that the ghost is crying for the victims of TWA flight 260 that crashed into the Sandia Mountains on February 19 th , 1955. All 13 passengers and 3 crew members onboard were killed in the crash. According to this variant, the ghost appears on the anniversary of the crash.

Another theory is that the ghost only appears in times of tragedy. If there is a fatal crash on the interstate or some other catastrophe, her apparition appears and mourns the loss.

Due to the chapel's accessibility, it is the most investigated site in Old Town Albuquerque. Over the years, SGHA has performed 7 ghost hunts, 3 investigations and two all night vigils at this location. No EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) or significant EM readings were discovered during the Ghost Patrol Project. Footage from the IR cameras used during the overnight vigils, also yielded no interesting results.

Photographs

During the multiple ghost hunts and investigations of this location, 676 photos were taken. Out of all of these photos, not one showed anything that appeared to be of a paranormal origin. The "unusual" photos taken inside the chapel were "orbs" (like those shown below) which were verified as being dust particles due to their diffraction patterns.

As one can see, the airplane crash theory makes no sense. The crash happened in 1955 while the chapel itself was not built until 1975. The “ghost” as also eluded many ghost hunters who have swarmed over the chapel on February 19 th for the past several years.

The reported “sightings” are typical of psychosomatic response episodes that are common in poorly lit areas. Additionally, all of evidence that the woman in black is a ghost is loosely based solely on the fact that she mysteriously vanishes. The chapel has a south doorway which is often left open in the warmer months. A person seated on the west bench could easily exit the building without attracting the attention of someone kneeling at the shrine near the entrance. It should also be noted that while at the shrine, one does not have a clear view of the chapel's main room. This was replicated with ease during several tests.

It is also important to note the interviews with C. Polston and B. McCombs (the original owners of New Mexico Ghost Tours) concerning the pre-2003 Ghost walk of Old Town. On the tour it was implicitly stated that the chapel is not haunted. The first story of the "Lady in Black" was told to them by a former manager of Maria Teresas Restaurant who had an encounter there while drinking wine. She was not certain if what she saw was a ghost or not, but thought that they should check out the location anyway. Impressed with the beauty of the chapel and the similarities between the stories of the Chapel ghost and La Llorona of Hispanic folklore, they added the chapel as a stop on the ghost tour. Before entering the chapel, they told the story of the Lady in Black , how it related to La Llorona and New Mexico folklore. The tour guests were then taken into the chapel to show them its unique charm and art.

Tour guides hired after 2003 often neglected to state that the chapel was not haunted. Stories were often confused or misquoted which lead to the myth building of this particular legend.

Urban legend/folklore created by unsustainable facts and myth building.

Based upon the lack of any evidence typically used to indicate a possible haunting and the results of the skeptical analysis, SGHA does not believe that this location is haunted.