About Diocese of Gallup
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup (Latin: Dioecesis Gallupiensis) is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, covering more than 55,000 square miles of northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona — including the Navajo and Hopi reservations. Erected on December 16, 1939 by Pope Pius XII, it primarily serves Native American (Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Apache, Pueblo) and Hispanic Catholic populations through 53 parishes, 13 Catholic schools, and five social centers serving roughly 58,000 Catholics among a total population of about 490,000. Its mother church is Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup, New Mexico, and it is currently led by the fourth bishop, the Most Reverend James Sean Wall.
- Bishop
- James Sean Wall
- Established
- 1939
- Cathedral
- Sacred Heart Cathedral, 415 East Green Avenue, Gallup, New Mexico
- Territory
- In Arizona: the counties of Navajo and Apache. In New Mexico: the counties of San Juan, McKinley, Cibola and Catron, plus the parts of Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia counties lying west of the sixth meridian. Covers the Navajo and Hopi reservations and adjacent areas — about 55,468 square miles.
- Parishes
- 53
- Province
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe (Ecclesiastical Province of Santa Fe)
About the Diocese of Gallup
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup is a multicultural, expansive diocese in the American Southwest, comprising some 55,000 square miles of northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona — an area larger than many U.S. states. The landscape, peoples, and expressions of faith within it are extraordinary: the diocese serves primarily Native American (Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Apache and Pueblo) and Hispanic Catholic populations across 53 parishes, 13 Catholic schools, and five social centers, caring for roughly 58,000 Catholics within a total population of about 490,000. As the diocese's own mission statement reads, it is 'a Catholic community working for the salvation of souls, to ease the suffering of the human condition, to witness the truth, to help foster the overall fulfillment of life, and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.' Its mission-diocese status makes it a long-standing partner of the Catholic Extension Society.
- 55,468 square miles of territory in New Mexico and Arizona
- 53 parishes and 13 Catholic schools
- Approximately 58,000 Catholics served
- Includes the Navajo Nation and Hopi reservation
History of the Diocese
Catholicism arrived in what is now the Diocese of Gallup with the Spanish entradas of 1539, when Fray Marcos de Niza dedicated the region to Saint Francis. Franciscan missionaries established missions throughout the area over the following centuries, including the historic Saint Michaels Mission. In 1939, Pope Pius XII — recalling his 1936 flight over the Southwest as Cardinal Pacelli — formally erected the diocese from parts of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the Diocese of Tucson. The See was set at Gallup, Sacred Heart Church became the cathedral, and Franciscan Father Bernard T. Espelage, O.F.M. was named first bishop in 1940. Subsequent bishops were Jerome J. Hastrich (1969), Donald E. Pelotte (1990) — the first Native American Catholic bishop in the U.S. — and the current bishop, James Sean Wall (2009).
- Erected December 16, 1939 by Pope Pius XII
- First bishop: Bernard T. Espelage, O.F.M. (1940–1969)
- Diocese of Phoenix carved out in 1969, halving Gallup's territory
- Donald E. Pelotte: first Native American Catholic bishop in the U.S.
Office of the Bishop
The Most Reverend James Sean Wall has served as the fourth Bishop of Gallup since his installation on April 23, 2009. Born October 11, 1964, in Ganado, Arizona on the Navajo Nation, Bishop Wall is himself a product of the diocese's territory — his parents were converts to Catholicism through the witness of two Franciscan friars. Ordained to the priesthood in 1998 for the Diocese of Phoenix, he served as a parochial vicar in Phoenix and Mesa, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Phoenix, and vicar for priests at the Phoenix chancery before his appointment. His episcopal motto is 'Estote factores verbi' — 'Be doers of the word.' He was, at 44, the youngest diocesan bishop in the United States at the time of installation.
- Bishop since 2009 (appointed by Pope Benedict XVI)
- Installed April 23, 2009 at Sacred Heart Cathedral
- Episcopal motto: Estote factores verbi (Be doers of the word)
- Youngest U.S. diocesan bishop at time of installation
Cathedral — Sacred Heart, Gallup
Sacred Heart Cathedral, at 415 East Green Avenue in Gallup, is the mother church of the diocese. The parish dates to 1899, when Father George Julliard built the first Catholic church in Gallup for the coal miners and railroad workers flooding into the new town; that building collapsed in 1916 and a combination church-school replaced it in 1917. When the diocese was erected in 1939, the church became the cathedral; the present cathedral structure was completed in 1955 at a cost of $500,000 and dedicated on June 19 of that year — a date still observed annually as the cathedral's dedication feast. The cathedral's stained-glass windows depict the entire missionary history of New Mexico and the diocese, from the 1539 entrada of Fray Marcos de Niza through the erection of the diocese. The Franciscans staffed the cathedral until July 1, 1981, when the first diocesan priest, Alfred Tachias, became pastor and rector. A new roof was installed in 2022, and in 2026 the diocese announced plans to build a new Sacred Heart School building on the cathedral campus.
- First Catholic church in Gallup built 1899 by Father George Julliard
- Present cathedral completed 1955
- Cathedral dedication anniversary celebrated June 19 each year
- Stained glass depicts the missionary history of New Mexico
Catholic Schools
The Office of Catholic Schools supports a network of 13 schools across the diocese whose mission is 'to proclaim the person and message of Jesus Christ and His Church through worship, evangelization, education, and service.' Most serve majority-Native American students and several are tuition-free mission schools. The diocese's Superintendent of Schools is Father Tom Maikowski. Notable schools include St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School in Thoreau (tuition-free K–8 serving 120+ Diné students with daily meals, transportation, and alumni scholarships), Sacred Heart School and St. Francis Preschool in Gallup, St. Anthony School in Zuni, St. Joseph Mission School in San Fidel, St. Teresa of Avila School in Grants, and St. Francis of Assisi School in Lumberton; in Arizona, Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Page and St. Anthony School in Show Low. Four of the Native-serving schools (Sacred Heart-Gallup, St. Anthony-Zuni, St. Joseph-San Fidel and St. Teresa-Grants) entered a Catholic School Sustainability Initiative in 2017 run by Catholic Extension Society, which helped them survive the pandemic.
- 13 Catholic schools across New Mexico and Arizona
- Superintendent: Fr. Tom Maikowski
- Four schools in Catholic Extension School Sustainability Initiative since 2017
- St. Bonaventure Indian School (Thoreau) is tuition-free K–8
Native American Ministry
In 2012 Bishop James Wall established the Office of Native American Ministry to assess and meet the spiritual needs of the Native American members of the diocese. Directed by Father Dale Jamison, O.F.M., the office serves the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Apache and Pueblo peoples whose reservations and communities fill the diocese's territory. The office coordinates evangelization, catechesis, and sacramental preparation in a culturally appropriate way, drawing on the Franciscan missionary heritage of the region and the ongoing witness of religious communities who have served the missions for over a century.
- Established by Bishop Wall in 2012
- Director: Fr. Dale Jamison, O.F.M.
- Serves Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Apache and Pueblo peoples
Offices and Ministries
The diocesan chancery in Gallup coordinates a wide range of offices that support parishes, schools, and the faithful. The Office of the Bishop, the Office of the Vicar General (currently Father Peter Short), the Office of the Chancellor (Deacon Randolph Copeland), the Office of Communications (Suzanne Hammons), the Office of Vocations (Father Joshua Mayer), the Office of Youth Ministry (Sister Carol Woods, S.F.M.A.), the Office of the Diaconate, the Office of Catholic Schools, the Office of Native American Ministry, and the Safe Environment office together form the operational backbone of the diocese. The chancery is housed at 503 W. Historic Highway 66, the old Route 66, in Gallup, New Mexico.
- Vicar General: Fr. Peter Short
- Chancellor: Deacon Randolph Copeland
- Vocations Director: Fr. Joshua Mayer
- Youth Ministry Director: Sr. Carol Woods, S.F.M.A.
- Communications Director: Suzanne Hammons
Permanent Diaconate
The Diocese of Gallup runs a five-year Permanent Diaconate Formation Program, directed by Deacon Timoteo Lujan, that trains men to serve as permanent deacons in parishes across the diocese. Because Gallup is a mission diocese with limited clergy, deacons play a particularly broad role — teaching catechism, supporting Catholic schools, assisting at funerals and burials, blessing homes, visiting the sick, and representing the Church at the local level in communities that may otherwise lack regular priestly presence. Candidates must be at least 30 years old, endorsed by their pastor, and (if married) in a stable, healthy marriage. The diocese periodically hosts 'Come and See' weekend retreats at Sacred Heart Retreat Center for men discerning a possible call.
- Five-year formation cycle (last updated 2020)
- Director: Deacon Timoteo Lujan
- Minimum age 30; pastor endorsement required
- Periodic 'Come and See' retreats at Sacred Heart Retreat Center
Vocations and Youth Ministry
The Office of Vocations, directed by Father Joshua Mayer, fosters priestly vocations and assists seminarians in formation, while the Office of Youth Ministry (Sister Carol Woods, S.F.M.A.) oversees parish youth ministers and catechetical programs for middle- and high-school-aged Catholics across the diocese. Together these offices run retreats, vocation discernment events, and mission-group trips for young people — a critical ministry in a territory where Catholic youth must often travel hundreds of miles to gather with peers.
- Vocations Director: Fr. Joshua Mayer
- Youth Ministry Director: Sr. Carol Woods, S.F.M.A.
- Coordinates parish youth ministers and catechetical programs
Getting Involved and Contact
The Diocese of Gallup welcomes inquiries and involvement from Catholics and visitors alike. The main chancery is located at 503 W. Historic Highway 66 (the old Route 66), P.O. Box 1338, Gallup, NM 87301; the main phone line is (505) 863-4406. Parishioners and visitors can find Mass, confession and adoration times on the diocesan website at dioceseofgallup.org, on parish websites (such as sacredheartgallup.org for the cathedral parish), and through the diocesan Voice of the Southwest news outlet. The diocese maintains an active presence on Facebook and YouTube, publishes news and formation resources online, and runs the 'Come and See' retreats for men considering the diaconate and other discernment programs for young people.
- Address: 503 W. Historic Highway 66, Gallup, NM 87301
- Phone: (505) 863-4406
- Website: dioceseofgallup.org
- News outlet: Voice of the Southwest (voiceofthesouthwest.org)
