About San Antonio de Padua Mission · Medanales, New Mexico
San Antonio de Padua Mission is a small historic Catholic mission church in the village of Medanales, Rio Arriba County, in northern New Mexico. It is one of seven mission churches that together make up St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, headquartered in nearby Abiquiu, within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The mission church bears the name of Saint Anthony of Padua and serves a rural, deeply rooted Hispanic Catholic community along the Rio Chama, with Mass offered on Wednesday mornings and Saturday afternoons and Eucharistic Adoration through the day on Wednesdays. Lay ministers from the village — lectors, altar servers, musicians, a homebound minister, and a mayordomo — keep the mission's liturgical and community life running in close partnership with the pastor and office staff in Abiquiu.
- Patron
- Saint Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Valentine Phu Au
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
San Antonio de Padua Mission is at the heart of a small, multigenerational Hispanic Catholic village in the Rio Chama valley, and joining or visiting means becoming part of a living tradition of patron-saint fiestas, mayordomo stewardship, and lay-led ministry. The parish offers a calm weekly rhythm of Wednesday Mass and Adoration with the Blessed Sacrament exposed through the day, and a Saturday Vigil Mass with confession beforehand, making it a true country parish where worship, hospitality, and neighborliness still go together. As one of seven historic mission churches served by St. Thomas the Apostle in Abiquiu, the Medanales mission connects visitors to the wider Catholic life of northern New Mexico while retaining its own distinct village identity.
Mass times at San Antonio de Padua Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM, or by appointment with Father (2:00–3:00 PM Saturdays at Santo Tomás el Apóstol, Abiquiu)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
San Antonio de Padua Mission at a Glance
San Antonio de Padua Mission is the Catholic mission church serving the village of Medanales, New Mexico, in Rio Arriba County. It belongs to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, a clustered parish of seven historic mission churches headquartered in Abiquiu, within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The mission church bears the name of Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day on June 13 is celebrated locally as the parish fiesta.
- Location: 310 Rio Arriba Co Rd. 142, Medanales, NM 87548
- Patron: Saint Anthony of Padua
- Feast Day: June 13
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe
- Cluster: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, Abiquiu
Worship & Schedule
Like many small rural missions in northern New Mexico, San Antonio de Padua offers Mass only a couple of times each week. The Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM fulfills the Sunday obligation, and a Wednesday morning Mass at 7:30 AM gives parishioners a midweek opportunity to receive the Eucharist. Confessions are heard on Saturday afternoons, and the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for Eucharistic Adoration throughout the day on Wednesdays.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Wednesday Mass: 7:30 AM
- Confession: Saturday 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM (or by appointment)
- Eucharistic Adoration: Wednesday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Village Ministry Team
The mission's liturgical and pastoral life is sustained by village lay ministers, each with a specific role and a published phone number so parishioners can reach them directly. This volunteer structure is characteristic of small Hispanic Catholic missions in the region, where each family and ministry has a place in keeping the mission alive.
- Lector / Extraordinary Minister: Rita Serrano (call Parish Office)
- Altar Server: Bernardo Garcia — 505-753-4429
- Music: Levi & Norma Medina — 505-685-4597
- Homebound: Laura Garcia — 505-367-0066
- Mayordomo / Majordomo: Lita Trujillo — 505-685-4308
Saint Anthony of Padua — Patron of Medanales
Saint Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of the village of Medanales. The parish website shares a brief biography: Saint Anthony was born Fernando Martins in Lisbon around 1195 into a wealthy family. As a young man he entered the Augustinian Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, Portugal, then capital of the country, where he learned theology and Latin. He later joined the Franciscan Order and was canonized by Pope Gregory IX less than a year after his death in 1231, at only 36 years old; Pope Pius XII later declared him a Doctor of the Church.
- Venerated worldwide as the patron of lost people and lost articles
- Commonly called the "finder of lost articles"
- Feast celebrated in Medanales on June 13
- His remains were found incorrupt, and his tongue was reported to be perfect, in gratitude for the clarity of his teaching
Parish Fiestas & Mayordomo Tradition
Northern New Mexico's mission churches mark the year with patron-saint fiestas, traditionally organized by mayordomos from the village. The parish's published fiesta calendar places the Medanales San Antonio celebration on June 13, alongside neighboring missions: Cañones (San Miguel, Sept. 29), Coyote (San Juan Bautista, June 24), Youngsville (San Pedro, June 29), Gallina (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Dec. 12 — celebrated Sept. 16), and Mesa de Poleo (Santa Teresa, Oct. 14). Parishioners are encouraged to check with the mayordomos at the mission churches for the specific celebration details each year.
- Medanales – San Antonio – June 13
- Youngsville – San Pedro – June 29
- Coyote – San Juan Bautista – June 24
- Gallina – N.S. Guadalupe – December 12 (celebrated September 16)
- Cañones – San Miguel – September 29
- Mesa de Poleo – Santa Teresa – October 14
Parish Staff & Administration
Pastoral care for the mission is provided by the parish staff based at Santo Tomás el Apóstol in Abiquiu. The pastor/administrator is the Rev. Valentine Phu Au, and Robin Dominguez serves as Office Manager. Meetings with Father Valentine are by appointment only. The parish office, located to the right of the Abiquiu church building, is open Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM and is closed on holidays.
- Pastor / Administrator: Rev. Valentine Phu Au
- Office Manager: Robin Dominguez
- Parish Office Phone: 505-685-1153
- Parish Office Hours: Tue–Thu, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 117, Abiquiu, NM 87510-0117
One Parish — Seven Historic Mission Churches
San Antonio de Padua Mission in Medanales is part of a larger clustered parish known as St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish (La Parroquia de Santo Tomás el Apóstol), described by the parish as "One Parish — Seven Historic Churches in Northern New Mexico." The seven mission churches share a single pastor, a single bulletin, and a single office in Abiquiu, while each retains its own patron saint, fiesta, and village ministry team.
- St. Thomas the Apostle — Abiquiu (parish hub)
- San Antonio — Medanales
- San Miguel — Cañones
- San Juan Bautista — Coyote
- San Pedro — Youngsville
- Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe — Gallina
- Santa Teresa — Mesa de Poleo
Sacraments
The sacraments at San Antonio de Padua Mission follow the wider pastoral policies of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. Confession is offered half an hour before each Mass and by appointment on Saturday afternoons at the Abiquiu church. Couples planning marriage should meet with Father first, ideally six to nine months before the desired date. Parents requesting Baptism must meet with Father and complete a Baptismal Preparation Course; godparents must be baptized, confirmed, married in the Church (or, if single, not cohabitating), practicing Catholics, and must also attend the preparation course.
- Reconciliation: half hour before each Mass or by appointment
- Marriage: meet with Father 6–9 months in advance
- Baptism: parent meeting + Baptismal Preparation Course required for parents and godparents
- First Communion & Confirmation: Religious Education classes begin each September; register with parish office
- Anointing of the Sick: contact parish office
- Funeral: contact parish office before arranging with the funeral home
Homebound Ministry
Homebound Ministers, on behalf of the congregation, bring Communion, scripture, and prayer to members of the community who are unable to attend Mass. They relate to the sick and homebound the love and prayers sent by the church community, share the scripture readings from the Mass, and join in prayer with those they visit. The parish-wide ministry is led by Robert Martinez (505-685-0906); the Medanales mission's local contact for homebound visits is Laura Garcia (505-367-0066).
- Parish-wide Ministry President: Robert Martinez — 505-685-0906
- Medanales Homebound contact: Laura Garcia — 505-367-0066