Sixteen of New Mexico's 19 pueblos are within the Santa Fe Archdiocese. The other three are in the Diocese of Gallup.

Historically, pueblo missions have been served by Franciscan priests, but the diminishing number of friars has left much of the pastoral responsibility to the archdiocese.

In the past year, Archbishop Sheehan appointed Santa Fe's first full-time coordinator of Native American ministry, a Catholic deacon from Acoma Pueblo. He also formed the archdiocese's first Native American advisory council.

The council completed its initial task -- creating guidelines for visiting and ministering in the pueblos. The archbishop said it was a first step in acknowledging and reminding people of the special nature of the pueblos.

The newly published guide notes that "Pueblo parishes are not like any other parish community." It says, "Please be aware and accept that native spirituality and Catholic faith walk hand in hand."

The guide also says that clergy, religious and laity who are not tribal members need to respect the culture and traditions of the pueblos at all times, even if it means an abrupt cancelation of church activities, including Mass. And that Catholic ministers are welcome in the pueblos to strengthen Catholic faith, not to change native spirituality.

The Pueblo people, distinct to the southwest, are the descendants of the ancient Anasazi, cliff dwellers and other peoples who lived in communal homes made of stone or adobe. They encountered Christianity with the arrival of Spanish Franciscans in 1598.

Pueblo beliefs are intricate. As pueblos tend to protect their religious practices with silence, they are often misunderstood by people on the outside.

Spanish colonizers, and later the U.S. government, tried to suppress the ceremonial practices of the Pueblo people because their ancient dances were considered inconsistent with Christianity.

Today, Pueblo spirituality is seen in a different light.

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Santa Fe church works to spread faith and uphold native spirituality