Our Lady of Guadalupe

Welcome and Mission

The parish family of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Sangre de Cristo extends a warm welcome to anyone seeking to worship with them. According to the parish's own mission statement, members share the mission of the Roman Catholic Church to bring others to Christ; through sharing faith, experience, and earthly goods they grow in faith and live the missionary call of baptism. With Jesus as their model, they seek to proclaim the Gospel through prayer, the sacraments, and acts of love and justice for all of God's people. Pastor Father Emmanuel UC Izuka, the parish ministers, and parishioners together invite newcomers to worship with them and to assist with prayers and charitable works as the community walks its spiritual journey together.

Parish History

Catholic life in Peralta reaches back to a hacienda chapel at the Otero home (first listed for the new See of Santa Fe in 1851). Regular Mass began in 1872, the present adobe church was built starting in 1879 and dedicated in 1892, and the parish was formally established in April 1971 after serving for decades as a mission of Immaculate Conception in Tomé. Sangre de Cristo in Valencia has its own founding story around 1800–1801 and was rebuilt on a concrete foundation after a 1941 wall collapse. Both historic churches are now in need of structural renewal.

• 1851 — first official reference to a Peralta chapel
• 1872 — Father Ralliere begins regular Mass in Peralta
• 1879 — construction of the present Our Lady of Guadalupe church begins
• 1884 — disastrous flood inundates Peralta, Valencia, and Tomé
• 1888 — church completed
• 1892 — church officially dedicated
• 1909 — dispute over Tomé parish ownership resolved; Peralta remains a Tomé mission
• 1912 — pitched tin roof added
• 1941 — northeast wall of Sangre de Cristo collapses; church rebuilt
• 1946 — Sangre de Cristo rededicated by Archbishop Rudolph Gerken
• April 1971 — Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish formally established

Architecture and Historic Buildings

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Peralta is built of adobe walls roughly four feet thick at the base, supported by cruciform buttresses that are unique among New Mexico churches. The roof rests on 33 wooden vigas hauled from the Manzano Mountains east of Belen, originally finished with woven branches, a flour-and-water 'manta,' and a thick layer of soil for insulation. A pitched corrugated tin roof replaced the earthen covering in 1912, though most of the soil insulation was not removed until the late 1970s. The Sangre de Cristo church in Valencia received its two towers (designed by a Peralta storekeeper) in 1902 and was rebuilt on a concrete foundation after the 1941 collapse, preserving many original materials.

• Adobe walls ~4 feet thick at base
• Cruciform buttresses (unique in New Mexico)
• 33 wooden vigas from the Manzano Mountains
• Pitched corrugated tin roof added 1912
• Twin towers at Sangre de Cristo (1902)
• Sangre de Cristo rebuilt 1941–1946 on concrete foundation

Devotions and Prayer Groups

A rich devotional life surrounds the regular Mass schedule. The Blue Army gathers every Monday at 10:00 am to pray the Rosary, with the statue of the Blessed Mother available to visit parishioners' homes through coordinator Rebecca Cordova. The Legion of Mary meets every Thursday at 10:00 am in the parish hall and welcomes new members. The 3rd Order Servants of Mary gather on the last Sunday of the month at 12:15 pm to pray the Rosary, followed by a meeting in the parish hall. The Columbian Squires Traveling Vocations Chalice program lets families sign up to take the chalice home to pray for vocations.

• Blue Army Rosary — Mondays 10:00 am
• Legion of Mary — Thursdays 10:00 am, parish hall
• 3rd Order Servants of Mary — last Sunday, 12:15 pm rosary + meeting
• Columbian Squires Traveling Vocations Chalice
• Divine Mercy
• Covenant Keepers
• Rosary Makers

Faith Formation and Religious Education

The Faith Formation Office serves children from Pre-K through Confirmation with grade-level classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Two-year sacramental preparation is required for First Holy Communion (typically 2nd and 3rd grade), and pre-Confirmation in 8th grade precedes Confirmation in 9th grade, with Confirmation sessions on Sundays from 9:30 to 11:00 am. Annual fees for 2025–2026 are $35 for RCIA, $50 for Sacramental Classes, $25 for Non-Sacramental Classes, and $10 for additional family members; payment by credit card is accepted by phone (505-869-6993). The parish mission statement emphasizes drawing strength from tradition and the faithfulness of youth, sharing faith in Jesus by example and respecting the dignity of every person made in God's image.

• Pre-K & Kindergarten — Wednesday 5:30–6:30 pm
• 1st Grade — Wednesday 5:30–6:30 pm
• 1st Year Holy Communion (2nd grade) — Wednesday 5:30–6:30 pm
• 2nd Year Holy Communion (3rd grade) — Wednesday 5:30–6:30 pm
• 4th, 5th & 6th Grade — Wednesday 5:30–6:30 pm
• 7th Grade — Wednesday 5:30–6:30 pm
• Confirmation (9th grade) — Sundays 9:30–11:00 am
• RCIA for adults — sessions begin in July
• RCIC for children over age 7 not baptized
• Vacation Bible School — June 23–26, 2026, 9:00 am–Noon

Sacraments

Parents arranging a Baptism must complete paperwork by the first week of the month, attend one instruction class on the first Wednesday of the month, and meet the parish's sponsor requirements (sponsors must be registered and active in the parish for at least three months, married in the Catholic Church if married, and Baptized and Confirmed). Baptisms are celebrated Saturday mornings at 10:00 am. First Holy Communion requires two years of preparation, and Confirmation is celebrated after pre-Confirmation in 8th grade and the 9th-grade year. Adult initiation is offered through the RCIA program, and the RCIC program adapts the same curriculum for children over age 7 who were not baptized. Couples should contact the parish office to begin marriage preparation.

• Baptism paperwork due 1st week of month
• Baptism class — 1st Wednesday of the month
• Baptisms — Saturdays at 10:00 am
• First Holy Communion — 2 years of preparation
• Confirmation — 8th grade pre-Confirmation, 9th grade Confirmation
• RCIA — for unbaptized adults and baptized Christians seeking full communion
• RCIC — for children over 7 not yet baptized
• Marriage — contact parish office
• Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office

Parish Ministries and Organizations

Our Lady of Guadalupe sustains one of the most extensive lay ministry networks of any small parish in the area. Liturgical roles include Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Extraordinary Ministers to the Homebound, Ushers, Altar Servers, and a Music Ministry, supported by an Audio/Visual Team and a Liturgy Committee. Outreach is served by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, an Outreach Committee, a Pro-Life / Care-Net ministry, the Bereavement and Grief Group, and Stitches of Love (a sewing group). Pastoral care and formation include the Altar Society, Marriage Assistants and Family Life Ministry, Faith Formation Committee, Religious Education team, and ACTS Men and ACTS Women's retreats. Governance is provided by the Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Building Fund Committee, while the Cemetery Committee oversees the parish cemetery and the Valencia Mayordomos serve the Sangre de Cristo mission.

• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• Altar Society (Peralta & Sangre de Cristo)
• Lectors & Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
• Extraordinary Ministers to the Homebound
• Ushers, Altar Servers, Music Ministry
• Marriage Assistants & Family Life Ministry
• ACTS Men / ACTS Women
• Pro-Life Ministry / Care-Net
• Bereavement & Grief Group
• Outreach Committee
• Stitches of Love (sewing)
• Cemetery Committee
• Valencia Mayordomos
• Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Building Fund Committee

Parish Staff

Father Emmanuel UC Izuka serves as pastor; his office hours are Tuesday through Friday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm or by appointment. The parish is assisted by two permanent deacons, Deacon Micheal Otero and Deacon Arthur Trujillo, and supported by Office Manager Celina Lucero, Business Manager Marcella Lucero, Director of Religious Education Amanda Bermudez, Office Assistant Briget Baca, and Michelle Garcia in housekeeping and maintenance.

• Pastor — Rev. Emmanuel UC Izuka
• Deacon Micheal Otero
• Deacon Arthur Trujillo
• Office Manager — Celina Lucero
• Business Manager — Marcella Lucero
• Director of Religious Education — Amanda Bermudez
• Office Assistant — Briget Baca
• Housekeeping/Maintenance — Michelle Garcia

Locations, Contact, and Office Hours

The parish operates from two locations. The main church and parish office is at 3674 Highway 47, Peralta, NM 87042 (mailing address: P.O. Box 10, Peralta, NM 87042). The Sangre de Cristo mission church is at 3466 Main St. NE, Los Lunas, NM 87031. Church office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, and the Faith Formation Office is additionally open Monday through Thursday 4:00 to 6:00 pm. The parish can be reached by phone at 505-869-2189 or by email at [email protected]. The 2026 Building Fund Calendar is sold to support the structural renewal of both historic churches.

• Our Lady of Guadalupe — 3674 Highway 47, Peralta, NM 87042
• Mailing — P.O. Box 10, Peralta, NM 87042
• Sangre de Cristo — 3466 Main St. NE, Los Lunas, NM 87031
• Church office — Mon–Fri 9:00 am–1:00 pm
• Faith Formation office — Mon–Fri 9:00 am–1:00 pm, Mon–Thu 4:00–6:00 pm
• Phone — 505-869-2189
• Email — [email protected]
• Website — www.ologperalta.org

Patron: Our Lady of Guadalupe

The churches in Peralta have always been named in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, who appeared to the Mexican peasant Juan Diego at Tepeyac, near Mexico City, in 1531. Her feast is celebrated on December 12, and devotion to her is the spiritual heart of this parish and of Hispano Catholic life throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

• Patroness of the Americas
• Apparition to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac, 1531
• Feast day — December 12
• Sangre de Cristo is the parish's companion mission church