"Now, 35 years later, the Apache people are fighting for it." Apache Christ icon controversy sparks debate over Indigenous Catholic faith practices© Provided by WISH-TV ...

The Apache Christ painting hangs behind the altar of St. Joseph Apache Mission church in Mescalero, New Mexico, Saturday, July 13, 2024. The painting, an icon that depicts Christ as a Mescalero ...

Anne Marie Brillante never imagined she would have to choose between being Apache and being Catholic.

The Apache Christ painting hangs behind the altar of St. Joseph Apache Mission church in Mescalero, New Mexico, Saturday, July 13, 2024. The painting, an icon that depicts Christ as a Mescalero ...

MESCALERO, New Mexico (AP) — For this close-knit community, the 8-foot Apache Christ painting is a reminder of the holy union of their culture and faith.

The Apache Christ painting hangs behind the altar of St. Joseph Apache Mission church in Mescalero, New Mexico, Saturday, July 13, 2024. The painting, an icon that depicts Christ as a Mescalero ...

Apache Christ icon controversy sparks debate over Indigenous Catholic faith practices The Apache Christ painting hangs behind the altar of St. Joseph Apache Mission church in Mescalero, New Mexico, ...

Apache Christ icon controversy sparks debate over Indigenous Catholic faith practices By DEEPA BHARATH The Associated Press, Updated July 27, 2024, 2:23 p.m.

The focus of this tense, unresolved episode is the 8-foot Apache Christ painting. For this close-knit community, it is a revered icon created by Franciscan friar Robert Lentz in 1989.