Skya Abbate 
Wildflowers and the Call to the Altar 
Mission and History of an Altar Society

Wildflowers and the Call to the Altar is a fascinating story of the history of the St. Francis Altar Society, embedded within the tri-cultural nexus of Santa Fe, New Mexico. For close to a hundred years, the society responded to the call that the church, established in 1610, required a formal Altar Society to care for the sanctuary needs, yet also to address the personal sanctification of the members. Since its inception, the society has served the altar of the church and extended its vision to ‘the altar of the world’ through works of social justice, which are more urgent than ever, along with the care of the altar and the laundry. There is room for the holiness and fidelity of women to serve the church. Under the mantle of humility, and the commitment to mission, the women of the St. Francis Altar Society have persisted like the women at the foot of the cross. They have embraced the call to ministry and discipleship extended to all in the Gospels. Service to the altar extends into the world, where the reality of the love of Christ intersects with everyday life.

About the author

Skya Abbate is a sociologist, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and graduate student in the Master of Pastoral Studies Program at Loyola University, New Orleans, where she majors in Christian Spirituality and Ecological Theology. She is actively involved in her parish, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she serves as a long-standing member in multiple ministries.