About Our Lady of Sorrows (Historic Church) · Las Vegas, New Mexico
Our Lady of Sorrows (Nuestra Señora de Dolores) is the historic Mother Church of San Miguel County, New Mexico, and the first Roman Catholic parish established in the town of Las Vegas. The parish was created in 1852 when the first U.S. Bishop of New Mexico, French-born Jean Baptiste Lamy, raised the long-standing adobe mission chapel (originally built on the plaza in 1836) to full parish status. Its current church building — a striking red sandstone structure combining Gothic and Romanesque styles — was begun the same year and largely completed by 1868, with its magnificent water-powered Kilgen pipe organ installed in 1885. The parish has long served the West Las Vegas community and today still ministers to 16 mission churches scattered across San Miguel County. Our Lady of Sorrows is a registered National Historic Landmark (listed 1976) and remains an active, bilingual parish of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
- Established
- 1852
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Nuestra Señora de Dolores)
- Rector
- Rev. Sarfraz Alam
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Sorrows is the spiritual heart of West Las Vegas — a living, bilingual parish (English and Spanish) that has celebrated Mass in this historic town since 1852. It is the Mother Church of San Miguel County and continues to serve the Las Vegas community and 16 surrounding mission churches. Worshippers are drawn by the parish's warm bilingual liturgy, weekday and Sunday Masses, weekday adoration and exposition, daily confessions before the noon Mass, and a robust sacramental life including OCIA for adults seeking Baptism and a Faith Formation program preparing children for First Holy Communion.
Mass times at Our Lady of Sorrows (Historic Church)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM (before the 12:10 weekday Mass)
- Wednesday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM (before the 12:10 weekday Mass)
- Thursday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM (before the 12:10 weekday Mass)
- Friday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM (before the 12:10 weekday Mass)
- Saturday 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
- By appointment — call the parish office at (505) 454-1469
Adoration times
- Weekday Exposition: 1:00 PM–4:30 PM
- First Saturdays Exposition: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Chapel open Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Chapel open Saturday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
History of Our Lady of Sorrows
The parish traces its origin to 1835–1836, when settlers from San Miguel del Vado established the Las Vegas plaza and built a small adobe chapel, Nuestra Señora de Dolores, on it. For roughly sixteen years it was a bi-weekly mission of the San Miguel del Vado parish. In 1852 Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy — the first U.S. Bishop of New Mexico — raised it to a full parish and appointed its first resident priest, the Polish-born Fr. Alexander Grzelachowski ('El Padre Polaco').
Building the Stone Church (1852–1885)
The imposing red sandstone church we see today was begun in 1852, the same year the parish was established. Built largely by volunteer parishioners, the walls were not finished until 1868, when a canvas was stretched over them so the building could be used. The old adobe chapel was sold by Bishop Lamy in 1870 and razed. Fr. Joseph M. Coudert (pastor 1865–1891) oversaw completion: a metal roof replaced the canvas, interior details were finished, and the celebrated Kilgen pipe organ was installed in 1885.
- 1852 — Masonry on the new stone church begun
- 1868 — Walls completed; canvas used as temporary roof
- 1870 — Old adobe chapel on the plaza sold and demolished
- 1885 — Metal roof, interior finishes, and Kilgen pipe organ installed
- October 22, 1885 — 'Grand Pipe Organ Concert' held in the new church
Architecture and the Kilgen Organ
The church is a red sandstone building combining Gothic and Romanesque styles, and is frequently (and incorrectly) called 'The Cathedral' because of its size and presence. Its French-influenced design contrasts sharply with the traditional adobe churches of northern New Mexico and reflects the architectural taste of Bishop Lamy. The crown jewel of the interior is the water-powered Kilgen pipe organ, purchased for $4,000 by trustee Charles Blanchard and shipped west from St. Louis; at its dedication it was advertised as 'The Largest and most Powerful Organ west of St. Louis.'
- Style: Gothic–Romanesque, red sandstone
- Location: corner of National Avenue and Morrison Street, West Las Vegas
- Organ: water-powered Kilgen, installed 1885
- NRHP listing: 1976
Turbulent 19th-Century Parish Life
Beyond construction, the parish endured periods of conflict. The arrival of the railroad in 1879 created a new Anglo East Las Vegas across the Gallinas River; in 1884 the parish of the Immaculate Conception was carved out of Our Lady of Sorrows territory to serve English-speaking Catholics in the new town. Fr. Coudert's long-running dispute with Archbishop Lamy, friction with the Jesuits who ran Las Vegas College (1875–1886), and resistance to Fr. Coudert's French background all contributed to division. By the mid-1970s, the parish was being led by Fr. Sabine Griego — the first native-born New Mexican to hold the post — who launched a Parish Council campaign to stabilize the walls, restore the Kilgen organ, refurbish stained glass, and remove a 1968 portico.
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Our Lady of Sorrows runs a parish Faith Formation program for children in grades K through 7, with a structured two-year track preparing students for First Holy Communion. Adults (16 and older) seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation are welcomed into the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), a yearly preparation program.
- Faith Formation for grades K–7, with First Holy Communion prep
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) for those 16+
- Online Faith Formation pre-registration form (First Holy Communion Prep)
Missions of San Miguel County
Our Lady of Sorrows remains the Mother Church of San Miguel County and serves roughly 16 mission churches in the surrounding villages. Five of these — Lower Rociada, Upper Rociada, Sapello, Los Montoyas, and Tecolote — host a rotating monthly Communion Service (location, day, and time are listed in the weekly bulletin). The other eleven — El Llanito, El Porvenir, La Manga, Gallinas, Maes, San Agustin, San Geronimo, San Ignacio (Sapello), Trementina, Trujillo, and Variadero — are mainly served for funerals and an annual Mass on the mission's feast day.
- Active mission Masses and Communion Services: Lower Rociada, Upper Rociada, Sapello, Los Montoyas, Tecolote
- Feast-day / funeral-only missions: El Llanito, El Porvenir, La Manga, Gallinas, Maes, San Agustin, San Geronimo, San Ignacio, Trementina, Trujillo, Variadero
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a pastor and supported by an associate pastor and a business manager. Office contact is through the parish phone and the shared email address.
- Pastor: Rev. Sarfraz Alam
- Parochial Vicar / Associate Pastor: Jane Sanchez
- Business Manager: Catherine Gallegos
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
Our Lady of Sorrows sits in the heart of historic West Las Vegas, one block east of the original plaza and across from the San Miguel County Courthouse, at 450 West National Avenue. The parish mailing address is 403 Valencia St., Las Vegas, NM 87701. The office phone is (505) 454-1469 and email is [email protected]; confessions or visits can be arranged by appointment through the office.
- Physical: 450 West National Avenue, Las Vegas, NM 87701
- Mailing: 403 Valencia St., Las Vegas, NM 87701
- Phone: (505) 454-1469
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Alexander Grzelachowski ("El Padre Polaco")1852–1853
First resident priest, appointed by Bishop Lamy when the mission was raised to a parish; Polish-born; also chaplain at Fort Union.
- Fr. Jean François Pinard1853–c.1865
Former French army officer and protégé of Bishop Lamy; oversaw early construction of the stone church.
- Fr. Joseph M. Coudert1865–1891
Long-tenured Lamy protégé who supervised the stone church's construction and gave it its distinctive French character; oversaw the 1885 organ installation.
- Fr. Sabine Griegoby 1976
First native-born New Mexican to serve as pastor; led Parish Council efforts to rehabilitate the historic church in the mid-1970s.