Father Adam Ortiz y Ortega’s Sudden Leave Confuses Locals

Father Adam Ortiz y Ortega, who was a pastor at Santa Maria de la Paz, was accused in 2013 of crude and inappropriate behavior and was removed from the cathedral for a brief period before being reinstated and cleared of the allegations, according to an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Some parishioners were confused and concerned by this and left Santa Maria de la Paz for other congregations. Certain critics have complained to the Santa Fe New Mexican that he “has surrounded himself with young supporters, alienated some parishioners and fired or caused the resignation of several of the cathedral’s staff.”

Ortiz y Ortega suddenly announced that he would be ending his tenure at the cathedral in December 2018, following his long departure from mass. Before this announcement, he had not led mass at the cathedral since early October, leaving parishioners confused about where he was and why he was gone.

Though Ortiz y Ortega did not directly answer this question, he stated that his absence was due to personal challenges that he needed time to deal with. Since his statement in church, neither he nor the Archdiocese has elaborated on the personal challenges that have led to his departure, leaving some to speculate what these “personal issues” entail.