Photo by Mike Bibb: On the left, workers tear down the old roof of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Solomons. On the right is a nearly completed new roof awaiting the finishing of shingles and finishing.

Column by Mike Bibb

Solomons – Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Solomons, Arizona nears completion of its new roof. It took about 6 weeks to remove the old roof and replace it.

It’s something we haven’t experienced in over a century. (See her Gila Herald article, “Our Lady of Guadalupe Receives a New Roof,” April 11, 2023.)

The last time the church had a completely new roof structure was when it was built and consecrated in 1912. Handcrafted adobe walls and locally sawn timber from Mount Graham have been intact for 111 years.

The old wall is still in place and supports the recently made covering. There will also be interior improvements, heating and cooling, lighting and electrical upgrades.

However, the stained glass windows, the bell tower (with the original bell), the altar, the iconography inside, and other sacred items remain.

This small church and mission has been serving small communities for nearly 35 years since Arizona was born in 1912.

In 1981, the church was consecrated as a shrine by the Tucson Parish.

Solomons was once the seat of Graham County government until it moved to Safford in 1915.