San Antonito Catholic Mission Church and Cemetery in San Antonito, New Mexico

There’s a saying that “travel begins in your backyard”, and I recently took that to heart by exploring a local landmark that I’d ignored for years. I’ve lived in Sandia Park in the East Mountains outside of Albuquerque since 2007 and I’ve passed by the historic church and cemetery in the tiny town of San Antonito literally thousands of times, yet I knew absolutely nothing about it. But on a sunny day in May, I set out to change that. Here’s what I discovered about the town of San Antonito and its historic church and cemetery.

Where the heck is San Antonito, New Mexico?

First, a little about San Antonito, New Mexico. My guess is that 95% of people have never heard of this tiny town, and 4.9% of the people who say they know it are actually thinking about San Antonio, not San Antonito. If you want to learn about San Antonio, New Mexico, here’s a link to an article I wrote about that town: “San Antonio, New Mexico: Birds, Burgers, and the Festival of Cranes“.

San Antonito is a census-designated place in the “East Mountains”, which refers to the region east of the Sandia Mountains of Albuquerque.  What’s a “census-designated place”, you ask?  I had to look it up. According to the US Census Bureau, a census-designated place, or CDP for short, is “a statistical geography representing a closely settled, unincorporated community that is locally recognized and identified by a name. CDPs lack a legally defined boundary and an active, functioning government and are used for statistical purposes only.” That part about lacking an active, functioning government sounds particularly appealing.    

You can find San Antonito at the intersection of New Mexico State Road 14 (aka Turquoise Trail), Frost Road, and the Crest Road that takes you up to the summit of Sandia Peak.  Three different towns collide at that intersection.  If you’re at the southeast corner of that intersection, at the landmarks of the Shell gas station and the Lazy Lizard Grill, you’re standing in the town of Cedar Crest.  If you walk a few hundred yards east towards the post office, then you’re in the town of Sandia Park.  If you look diagonally (northwest) across the street from the Shell gas station and Lazy Lizard Grill, then you’ll see a cemetery and small church.  That’s the “town” of San Antonito.  Blink and you’ll miss it.  If you continue to drive a few hundred yards west past the cemetery towards Tinkertown Museum and Sandia Peak, you’re back in Sandia Park.  Clear as mud.

Best I can figure out, present day San Antonito only incudes the church and cemetery.  However, various websites say that the population of San Antonito ranges from 985 people to 1150 people.  That’s confusing since I can’t seem to find anyone who actually uses the town of San Antonito in their mailing address.  Even if you count the 152 headstone records at the cemetery, you don’t get close to 1000 people.  Heck, even the San Antonito church and San Antonito Elementary School list Sandia Park as the city in their mailing address!

In an attempt to clear things up, I called the post office that serves Sandia Park, San Antonito, and Golden.  The verdict?  Most everyone uses Sandia Park in their mailing address, but there are rare occasions when they see someone use Golden or San Antonito in the address.  In the end, I was told that it doesn’t really matter which town you use in your mailing address since all three have the same zip code and all the mail goes to the same post office.  Fair enough.

History of San Antonito

Back in the late 1700s, a few communities decided to set up shop in the East Mountain area. But the settlements didn’t stick around long due to Apache attacks. Fast forward to 1819, and the Governor of what we now call New Mexico handed out land to settlers in a town that is known today as Carnuel. These folks soon realized the land was better for farming than they initially anticipated. So, they asked for more land under another grant.

In J.J. Bowden’s book, “Private Land Claims in the Southwest” (1969)”, he mentions that a group of 27 locals had their eyes on a hefty chunk of vacant land, about 32,000 acres, called San Antonito. This land had once been settled back in 1826 but was left deserted. The grant was approved and, in 1835, these settlers moved 4 miles North to build the new community of San Antonito. Most of the locals were farmers, but they also kept busy with nearby lumber and mining work.

In those days, it took three days to get to Albuquerque and back by wagon, and there were still reports in the Albuquerque newspaper of Apache raids. Today, I can drive from San Antonito to downtown Albuquerque and back to San Antonito in an hour, and the biggest danger comes from our State’s notoriously bad drivers.

Fun fact (or not so fun): According to Forbes (May 16, 2024), New Mexico has the most dangerous drivers in the United States, specializing in a variety of risky driving habits. Leading the pack, New Mexico has the highest rate of deadly accidents involving distracted drivers. We rank second when it comes to fatal crashes caused by speeding or racing. As for intoxicated drivers involved in fatal incidents, New Mexico takes the third spot. And to round things out, New Mexico has the sixth-highest occurrence of fatal car accidents where drivers ignored traffic signs, signals, or directions from traffic officers. Yet another reason why I’m grateful to have a remote job that enables me to work from home. Ok, back to the history lesson.

After the U.S.-Mexican War in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo recognized the locals’ citizenship and land ownership. However, these grants needed to be validated. In 1892, the descendants of the original San Antonito grantees sought confirmation, but the U.S. government turned them down because the grant had been approved by a Prefect without receiving the nod from the Governor or Provincial Assembly. The Supreme Court backed this decision in 1897, leaving the community without legal land ownership. As a result, each resident had to apply for a land patent to prove their claim.

Because of this, much of the community’s shared land was lost. In 1896 and 1899, land surveys rolled out across San Antonito, likely because of the numerous claims being filed. The 1896 surveyor notes reveal a small chapel in the southeast corner of land which Julian Romero, a local farmer, was claiming. Julian had purchased the land from Ramon Zamora, one of the original grantees, back in 1879. By 1902, the land was officially in Romero’s name, as he was one of the petitioners in the 1892 confirmation case. Finally, in 1905, Julian’s widow, Seferina Zamora de Romero, transferred this plot to Archbishop Peter Bourgade of the Santa Fe Archdiocese.

As a quick aside, Archbishop Peter Bourgade was born in France, where he studied for priesthood. In 1869, Peter was part of a group of six seminarians in France who were recruited for missions in the American Southwest. It must have been quite an adventure to sail from Brest, France to the United States, and then travel by railroad and stagecoach to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Peter was ordained to the priesthood in Las Cruces and then served as a pastor in Yuma, Arizona, San Elizario, Texas, and Silver City, New Mexico, before becoming a Bishop for the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona in 1897. Two years later, Peter Bourgade became the fourth Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico where he served from 1899 – 1908. In his 1908 annual report to Rome, Peter shared that the Santa Fe Archdiocese included 45 churches with resident priests, 340 mission churches, and a Catholic population of 167,000 people. In 1908, Peter’s health deteriorated, and he went to Chicago’s Mercy Hospital for care. Archbishop Peter Bourgade died two weeks later at the age of 62. He was buried in Santa Fe at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

San Antonito Catholic Mission Church and Cemetery

In the next sections, I’ll walk you through the history of the San Antonito Church and Cemetery and give you a glimpse of what it’s like to attend mass there today. A big shoutout to Kristi Dorr for sharing a copy of the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (filed in 1996) for the San Antonito Church and Cemetery. Kristi’s roots trace back to San Antonito. In fact, her great, great, great grandfather, Leonard Skinner, donated the lumber for the church and his daughter-in-law’s parents were the ones who donated the land to the church! Meeting people like Kristi with rich, historical connections and great stories about the small towns of New Mexico are one of the main reasons why I enjoy writing this blog.

History of the San Antonito Church and Cemetery

As noted in the previous paragraph, the church’s construction was made possible thanks to the generosity of Leonard Skinner, a well-known sawmill owner in Albuquerque. After settling in New Mexico in 1869, Leonard married Cecilia Montes, a local Catholic woman, in 1873. Despite Leonard’s pivotal role in making the construction of the church possible, he was not allowed to be buried in the San Antonito Church Cemetery because he wasn’t Catholic, and he didn’t want to convert to Catholicism. As a result, he was buried in a second cemetery located down the road, and his wife chose to be beside him.

There’s some debate over whether the adobe (from the Spanish word for “mudbrick”) used in building the church was crafted onsite or sourced from nearby San Pedro. Regardless, the local community came together to build the structure from adobe and milled lumber. The construction was completed in 1886.

Initially, church services were conducted by a priest traveling from Albuquerque. When the priest was unavailable, community members would take charge of religious ceremonies. During its peak, there was a resident friar. Today, the Catholic Church designates mission churches as those without a resident priest. The San Antonito Mission Church is part of the Holy Child parish in Tijeras, serving seven mission churches in the East Mountain area.

Some of the original traditions continue today, with mayordomos selected yearly to oversee church maintenance and Fiestas, aided by church volunteers. Church upkeep relies on donations to mayordomos, not parish allocations.

Christmas includes the performance of posadas, which are a Mexican Christmas tradition that brings to life the story of Mary and Joseph’s quest for a place to stay in Bethlehem. The term “posada” translates to “inn” or “shelter” in Spanish. This celebration unfolds over nine evenings, from December 16th to 24th, where a procession of participants, often with candles in hand, visits a different home each night. As they walk, they sing a heartfelt song requesting shelter, and the homeowners respond with their own tune. When the doors finally open, everyone pours inside, kicking off a festive gathering that includes prayers, delicious food, and the always-anticipated breaking of piñatas.

Nuestro Señor de Mapimi Church and the Good Friday Procession

The San Antonito Catholic Mission Church is dedicated to Señor de Mapimi, so you may see the church referred to as Nuestro Señor de Mapimi Church. Señor de Mapimi is considered to be a miraculous statue of the crucified Christ in Mapimí, Sonora (Mexico) and is said to protect miners. The dedication of the church to Señor de Mapimi likely stems from the locals’ familiarity with his Mexican shrine. Back in the day, New Mexicans regularly traveled south to trade, and they visited shrines like Mapimi during their travels. Originally, the San Felipe parish, including the San Antonito church, fell under the Durango Archdiocese in Mexico. San Antonito church used to have a statue of Señor de Mapimi but, unfortunately, the statue was stolen in the 1970s. It’s been replaced with a smaller crucifix that’s used in processions. 

Speaking of processions, each year for Good Friday, the San Antonito Catholic Mission Church gives parishioners of Holy Child Catholic Church in Tijeras a more manageable procession option to commemorate the journey that Jesus made while carrying his cross to the crucifixion. Instead of tackling the 20-mile uphill trek (with a 1,200-foot climb) from Tijeras to the San Juan Nepomuceno Mission Church in Chilili, participants can opt for a gentler 7.5-mile downhill walk from the San Antonito Church back to Tijeras. It’s an appealing alternative for those who require or prefer a less grueling route.

Description of the San Antonito Catholic Mission Church

The San Antonito Church showcases many architectural elements typical of New Mexico Catholic churches from the Spanish Colonial period. The church features a single 24 x 60 foot nave (the area that accommodates the people assembled for Mass), a rounded apse (recessed area at one end of the church that typically contains the altar), an elevated sanctuary for the high altar and clergy, and an attached sacristy (preparation room with vestments, sacred vessels, books, and parish records).

The church’s adobe walls measure between 18 to 26 inches thick and rest directly on the earth, with no foundation to speak of. Regular applications of mud once coated the walls until they were later covered with concrete stucco.

The interior walls are plastered and painted white. Carpeted floors in the nave and sacristy hide a tongue-and-groove pine floor and the original plank wood beneath it. Initially heated by wood stoves and lit by lanterns and sunlight, the church now has a gas furnace.

Around the turn of the century, modifications included Anglo-American influences, such as the pitched corrugated metal roof, covered ceiling, and bell tower. A small bell cupola (the hollow enclosure at the top of the church), crowned with a wooden cross, contains a brass bell dated 1889.

In 1984, two rooms were added, extending east from the sacristy along the nave’s north side, now serving as spaces for classes and meetings.

The cemetery to the south, marked by a range of simple wooden crosses, stone markers, and other memorials, includes graves dating back to 1918 and earlier.

Architectural Historian Chris Wilson notes that the San Antonito Mission Church, along with Santo Nino Church in Carnuel, is among the best-preserved in the Sandia and Manzano mountains and a great example of a 19th-century New Mexico church that blends Spanish tradition with Anglo-American elements.

Owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, San Antonito has always relied on its community for upkeep. The mayordomos, once solely responsible for the Fiestas, now also handle building maintenance, supported by volunteers who clean, repair, and fundraise for the church’s needs.

Attending Mass at the San Antonito Catholic Mission Church

When I first arrived at the San Antonito Catholic Mission Church to check it out, nobody was there.  However, a big sign caught my eye, announcing Mass every 4th Friday of the month at 6:00 PM. Now that’s a Mass schedule that could appeal to many people! With just a few days until the 4th Friday, I figured I’d give it a try.

So, on the 4th Friday of May, I returned to the church and was happy to see that the doors were open. I dusted the cobwebs off my Catholic credentials and decided to attend Mass.  About 25 people of all ages were there. The pastor didn’t introduce himself, which made me think the others were regulars, with me being the odd one out. I suspect the pastor is from Holy Child Parish, just down the road in Tijeras.

It was a very simple Mass.  It kicked off with the pastor ringing a little bell, signaling his walk down the aisle to start the service. That was the only musical note we heard – there were no other songs or musicians. Similarly, there were no other readers or participants, other than the congregation chiming in at the appropriate times. The Pastor was a one man show. 

Communion was offered, and the congregation queued up to receive the host. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, a “host” is a wafer-like bread that represents the sacrifice of Christ’s body. It’s a way for folks to show their devotion to Jesus. Everyone knelt as the pastor placed the host directly into their mouths. I’m not used to doing that, and my mind was waffling back and forth on whether to give that a try or do what I’m accustomed to doing … placing my cupped hands in front of me to receive the host and then putting the host in my mouth.  With such a small crowd, it quickly became my turn and out sprang my cupped hands to receive the host.  As for wine, that wasn’t an option for anyone other than the pastor, mostly likely due to COVID precautions at the time.  

And just like that, it was over! This was hands down the fastest mass I’ve ever attended, clocking in at 28 minutes from the moment the pastor rang the bell to when I stepped outside.

After mass, there was an invitation to a church potluck. Since I’d already eaten and didn’t bring anything to share, I headed straight for my car and drove home. Perhaps I’ll join a potluck in the future to learn more about the church and update this post. For now, I’m glad I went. It gave me insight into the community where I live, and it was time well spent.

---

---

Thought for the Week

Since today’s topic centered around a Catholic Mission Church, I’ll share two thought-provoking quotes from my favorite Pope of my lifetime, Pope John Paul II.

---

“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”
— Pope John Paul II

“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”
— Pope John Paul II

---

Thanks for reading, and happy travels!

Mark (The New Mexico Travel Guy)

Mark Aspelin, The New Mexico Travel Guy (www.newmexicotravelguy.com), is a travel writer and author of two books who has enjoyed a wide variety of adventures in his travels to over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. States.  His current project involves visiting EVERY town in his home state of New Mexico (there’s over 500 towns) and writing a story about each one.  When not traveling, Mark lives as a recluse in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico.