About La Sagrada Familia Mission · Lemitar, New Mexico
La Sagrada Familia Mission (formally 'Los Dulces Nombres de Jesús, María y José de Lemitar') is a historic Catholic mission church in the village of Lemitar, New Mexico, about six miles north of Socorro. It is the second oldest active mission church in the area, after San Miguel in Socorro, and serves as a mission of San Miguel Parish in Socorro within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The adobe church was built in the early 1830s by settlers whose families — Armijo, Chávez, González, Vigil, López, Sánchez, and Santillanes — still make up the community. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a center of village life, especially on the Feast of the Holy Family when descendants return home.
- Established
- 1831
- Patron
- The Holy Family (La Sagrada Familia); originally San José under the title Los Dulces Nombres de Jesús, María y José
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
La Sagrada Familia is one of the oldest continuously used mission churches in New Mexico, and it remains a living link between generations of Socorro County families — Armijo, Chávez, González, Vigil, López, Sánchez, and Santillanes — whose descendants still worship in the adobe walls their forebears raised. Because it is a mission of San Miguel Parish in Socorro, regular Mass is offered on the mission's monthly weekend and on the Feast of the Holy Family, when families long since moved away return to renew their ties to the village and the church. It is also a place to encounter nearly two centuries of New Mexico Catholic heritage in a single building — from vigas and adobe to stained glass and bell towers — set in the small farming village of Lemitar.
Mass times at La Sagrada Familia Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
History of La Sagrada Familia Mission
Lemitar was settled around 1831 by families from Atrisco, Albuquerque, and Belén, including the Armijo, Chávez, González, Vigil, López, Sánchez, and Santillanes families, who were drawn to the area's good farmland. The land for the new church was donated by Juan Platero, and Mass was held in the home of José Chávez while the building went up. The settlers named their church 'Los Dulces Nombres de Jesús, María y José de Lemitar' with San José as patron saint; over time it became known as 'La Sagrada Familia de Lemitar.'
- Village of Lemitar established c. 1831
- First mayordomo: José Chávez (believed)
- First recorded burial: 1835
- First recorded baptism: 1837
- Original patron: San José (under the title Los Dulces Nombres de Jesús, María y José)
Architecture & Building
The original adobe mission followed a traditional cross-shaped plan, with thirty vigas supporting a flat, dirt-filled roof. The building faces south along the Camino Real trail rather than the traditional east. Through more than 190 years of additions, repairs, and one total rebuild, the church has absorbed successive layers of New Mexico mission architecture while keeping its historic character.
- c. 1900: pitched, galvanized-tin roof and clear glass windows
- 1950: Conrad Hilton donation funds sacristy rebuild, replastered walls, gas heaters, stained-glass windows, and wooden flooring
- 1963 (early 1960s): present facade and twin bell towers added
- June 29, 2010: west wall collapsed during renovations begun in 2009; building deemed irreparable and totally rebuilt
Parish Identity & Diocese
La Sagrada Familia is a mission of San Miguel Parish in Socorro, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Because it has never had its own resident priest, the padre from San Miguel historically visited about every four months, staying several days to celebrate Mass, perform baptisms, and conduct other duties. Today the mission shares in the sacramental and pastoral life of San Miguel.
- Mission of: Church of San Miguel, Socorro
- Diocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe
- GCatholic Church ID: 38804
Mayordomos & Lay Societies
La Sagrada Familia has been cared for by a continuous line of mayordomos — lay stewards elected every year or two to represent the people to the parish priest — from at least 1835 to the present day. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several parish societies helped raise funds and repair the building.
- Current mayordomos: Bill and Lorella Chavez
- Caballeros Católicos de San Miguel
- Sociedad de San José
- Sociedad de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
- Sociedad del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Because the mission shares its priest with San Miguel in Socorro, baptisms and most sacraments are typically arranged through the parish there. Historically, most Lemitar weddings were celebrated at San Miguel rather than at La Sagrada Familia; only a handful of marriages are known to have taken place in the mission church itself.
- Baptism (first recorded 1837)
- Marriage (rare at the mission; first known wedding of Delores Romero of Lemitar to Rosalio Romero of San Antonio, December 27, 1965)
- Burial (first recorded 1835; older cemetery west of the church, replaced c. 1900)
Historic Recognition
La Sagrada Familia de Lemitar Church, Los Dulces Nombres is recognized as a significant historic religious building at both the state and federal levels, listed in the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and on the National Register of Historic Places.
- NM State Register of Cultural Properties — designated April 15, 1982 (#873)
- National Register of Historic Places — added February 24, 1983 (NRHP #83001631)
- Acreage: 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)