About Saint Alice · Mountainair, New Mexico
St. Alice Catholic Church is a small rural parish serving the Torrance County community of Mountainair, New Mexico, as part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Established in 1946, the parish ministers to Catholics across a wide swath of central New Mexico and supervises five historic mission churches in the surrounding villages of Abo, Manzano, Punta de Agua, Torreón, and Willard. Weekend Masses, weekday Masses in rotation among the missions, First Friday and First Saturday devotions, and a parish-sponsored St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store shape a tight-knit, mission-driven community led by Fr. Jordan Sánchez.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Alice of Schaerbeek (Alice the Leper), Cistercian lay sister, c. 1220–1250, patroness of the blind and paralyzed
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Jordan Sánchez
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
St. Alice is a classic small-town Catholic parish where one pastor faithfully serves a wide mission territory, so parishioners get to know their priest, their staff, and each other. The parish combines a robust schedule of devotions — including First Friday Holy Hours, First Saturday Rosary and Mass, and perpetual Confessions before every Mass — with a vibrant St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store that serves the poor of the region, and a Walking Pilgrimage with Our Lady from Manzano to Torreón. It is an ideal parish for anyone who values reverent liturgy, traditional Catholic devotions, the sacraments, and active outreach to neighbors in need.
Mass times at Saint Alice
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before every Holy Mass
- By appointment
- First Friday: 11:45 AM at St. Alice
- First Saturday: 8:30 AM at St. Alice (with the Rosary)
Adoration times
- First Friday Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration: 12:30 PM at St. Alice (following the 12 PM Mass)
First Friday and First Saturday Devotions
The parish maintains a strong tradition of First Friday and First Saturday devotional practices. First Friday includes a special Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration and Devotions to the Sacred Heart. First Saturday pairs the Rosary and Confessions with Mass in the morning.
- First Friday: Confessions 11:45 AM
- First Friday: Holy Mass 12:00 PM
- First Friday: Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration 12:30 PM
- First Friday: Devotions to the Sacred Heart 12:35 PM
- First Saturday: Rosary and Confessions 8:30 AM
- First Saturday: Holy Mass 9:00 AM in Mountainair
The Five Mission Churches
St. Alice Parish is the hub for a remarkable network of five mission churches spread across Torrance County and into the surrounding region. This mission-style configuration is typical of rural Catholic ministry in New Mexico, where one parish priest rotates through multiple village chapels to keep the sacraments available to far-flung faithful.
- Church of San Lorenzo, Abo
- Church of Nuestra Señora de Dolores, Manzano
- Church of St. Vincent de Paul, Punta de Agua
- Church of St. Anthony, Torreón
- Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Willard
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is led by a small, dedicated team that includes a pastor, secretary, finance council chair, and director of religious education. Fr. Jose Lucero also serves the parish as a trained Spiritual Director and Retreat Director. Seminarian Morgan Bleth, of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe's Priestly Discernment Program, was assigned to shadow the pastor.
- Rev. Fr. Jordan Sánchez — Pastor ([email protected])
- Lugie Garcia — Secretary
- Charles O'Donnell — Finance Council Chair
- Lindsey Benjamin — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Fr. Jose Lucero — Spiritual Director / Retreat Director
- Morgan Bleth — seminarian, Priestly Discernment Program
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education and Confirmation preparation are coordinated by Lindsey Benjamin, the parish's Director of Religious Education. The program includes ongoing catechism classes and a Confirmation track for the youth of St. Alice Parish.
- Catechism classes for parish youth
- Confirmation preparation
- Contact: [email protected]
St. Vincent de Paul Society and Outreach
The parish operates a St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store that serves the broader Mountainair community, providing material assistance to those in need. The Society has issued an urgent appeal for three volunteers to help keep the store open; current president is Ramona Medina.
- Parish-sponsored St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Mountainair
- Open Tuesday through Friday
- Currently seeking three volunteers to keep the store operating
- Contact: Ramona Medina, President
Spiritual Direction and Retreats
Fr. Jose Lucero is a trained Spiritual Director and Retreat Director. Parishioners interested in the spiritual and practical benefits of guided spiritual direction or a retreat may contact the parish office to arrange a meeting with him.
- Spiritual Direction available with Fr. Jose Lucero
- Retreat Direction available with Fr. Jose Lucero
- Sign up through the parish office
La Sociedad De San Jose (Torreón) Scholarship
La Sociedad De San Jose in Torreón, in partnership with St. Alice Parish, awards two $300 scholarships each year to graduating high school seniors who are members of the parish.
- Two $300 scholarships awarded annually
- Open to graduating seniors who are members of St. Alice Parish
- Contact Norbert Chavez for an application
Walking Pilgrimage with Our Lady
Each spring, the parish sponsors a Walking Pilgrimage with Our Lady from Manzano to Torreón — a Marian devotional pilgrimage that brings the parish community together on foot through the countryside of Torrance County.
- Annual walking pilgrimage from Manzano to Torreón
- Held in early May
Visiting St. Alice: Address, Office, and Contact
St. Alice Catholic Church sits on South Roosevelt Avenue in Mountainair, the small Torrance County town that is also the gateway to Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. The parish office is staffed Monday through Thursday and is the central point of contact for sacramental needs, ministry sign-ups, and appointments with the priest.
- Physical address: 301 South Roosevelt Ave., Mountainair, NM 87036
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 206, Mountainair, NM 87036
- Parish office: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed 1:00–1:30 PM for lunch)
- Phone: (505) 847-2291
- Email: [email protected]
- Emergency Sacramental Need: 505-226-2786
- Fr. Jordan's email: [email protected]