About San Antonio Mission (Historical Landmark) · San Antonio, New Mexico
Old San Miguel Mission (Mission San Miguel de Socorro) is a Roman Catholic parish in Socorro, New Mexico, part of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and one of the oldest continuously used Catholic church sites in the United States. According to the parish itself, the original mission was founded in 1598 when Don Juan de Oñate's expedition stopped here on the Rio Grande; the surviving adobe structure was built between 1615 and 1626 and remains in active liturgical use today. The parish also ministers to mission churches in surrounding communities and to New Mexico Tech students through St. Patrick's Newman Center, serving central New Mexico along the historic El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
- Established
- 1598
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel (church renamed in his honor ca. 1800; originally Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro)
- Rector
- Fr. John Anasiudu
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
San Miguel offers daily Mass in central New Mexico, a deeply historic worship space still in continuous Catholic use since 1598, and an unusually full parish life: RCIA, CCD/Religious Education for grades K–high school, a vibrant Legion of Mary, Catholic Daughters, Knights of Columbus, a Newman Center serving New Mexico Tech students, a parish gift shop, and a parish museum of mission artifacts. Long-standing mission churches (La Sagrada Familia in Lemitar, San Jose in Luis Lopez, St. Mary Magdalene in Magdalena, etc.) extend the parish's reach into the surrounding countryside, and the Fiesta traditions and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday are open to all who walk through the door.
Mass times at San Antonio Mission (Historical Landmark)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- San Miguel: Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
- St. Mary Magdalene–Magdalena: before Mass (except Easter Sunday)
- By appointment during the week — call the office 575-835-2891 between 10:00 AM and 12:00 noon
Adoration times
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each Friday following the 9:00 AM Mass
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Every Friday in the Guadalupe Chapel, 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
History of Old San Miguel Mission
Old San Miguel Mission's story begins in May 1598, when Don Juan de Oñate's Spanish expedition, accompanied by two Franciscan friars, arrived at a Piro Indian village on the Rio Grande. The tribe supplied the hungry travelers with corn — an act of 'succor' (socorro) that gave the settlement its name. Two priests stayed behind; Father Alfonso Benavidez, later called 'The Apostle of Socorro,' named the village Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro and built the first chapel with Indian help that same year. Between 1615 and 1626 the original church was replaced by the massive adobe structure still standing today, with walls about five feet thick and hand-carved corbel arches supporting enormous vigas hauled from mountains many miles away. High-set windows reflect the constant threat of Navajo raids. In 1680 the Pueblo Revolt drove the Spanish and their Piro allies south to El Paso del Norte; the church was abandoned and its communion rail was buried with the rest of its valuables (the map to that treasure is lost to this day, despite a million-dollar reward offered in the early 1980s). Around 1800, after a reported vision of a winged figure defending the church from Apache raiders, the parish was renamed San Miguel in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. Hispanic settlers resettled the area in the early 1800s under Governor Fernando Chacón, and by 1819–1821 the church had been rebuilt on its original foundation. General Manuel Armijo, New Mexico's last Mexican governor, is buried in the northeast corner of the church; four priests who served here rest beneath the sanctuary. Twentieth-century renovations in the 1930s (California Mission style) and 1960s (Spanish Colonial restoration) reshaped what visitors see today.
Land Grant and Architecture
San Miguel sits at the literal center of the 17,002-acre Socorro Land Grant — a Spanish-league tract given by the King of Spain (2.64 miles in each direction). Every property survey within the grant is still described as running from the center of the church. The original 17th-century building was of pure Pueblo style; many subsequent repairs and 20th-century restorations altered that, while preserving the huge adobe walls, high windows, hand-hewn vigas, and corbel arches that define the mission's character. A 19th-century wing was added in 1853, bell towers and a pitched roof came later, and the surviving 1930s/1960s renovations gave the present Spanish Colonial Revival appearance.
- Massive adobe walls, ~5 feet thick, resting directly on earth
- Hand-carved corbel arches and vigas hauled from distant mountains
- Originally flat-roofed single nave; pitched roof and bell towers added in the 19th century
- 1930s California Mission-style renovation; 1960s Spanish Colonial restoration
- At the center of the 17,002-acre Socorro Land Grant
Parish Leadership and Staff
San Miguel is led by Fr. John Anasiudu with two deacons, Mike (Miguel) Ybarra and Nick Keller. The parish office is staffed by Annie Anaya (Administrative Assistant) and Belinda Green (Bookkeeper); Christina Romero coordinates Religious Education. The Parish Council (President Frank Lewark; Secretary Bernadette Zamora) and a full directory of ministry heads complete the leadership picture published on the parish website.
- Pastor: Fr. John Anasiudu
- Deacons: Mike Ybarra; Nick Keller
- Religious Education: Christina Romero (also listed: Bernadette Zamora)
- Administrative Assistant: Annie Anaya
- Bookkeeper: Belinda Green
- Newman Center: Deacon Nick Keller
- RCIA: Deacon Mike Ybarra
- Lead Sacristan: Christina Carnagey
- Parish Council: Frank Lewark (President); Vice-President (vacant); Bernadette Zamora (Secretary)
Religious Education and Faith Formation
The parish offers CCD / Religious Education classes for students from kindergarten through high school, coordinated by Christina Romero. Registrations for the new academic year are accepted at the parish office. The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is directed by Deacon Mike Ybarra. Volunteers working with minors must complete VIRTUS background-check training every five years before beginning ministry.
- CCD / Religious Education (Grades K–high school)
- RCIA for adults (Deacon Mike Ybarra)
- VIRTUS training required for all parish volunteers
Sacraments
Baptisms at San Miguel are celebrated on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. Parents and godparents must complete a mandatory baptismal class on the 1st Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM in the Guadalupe Chapel before the Baptism is scheduled, with paperwork completed at the parish office at least two weeks in advance. The sacrament of Penance is heard Saturday afternoons at San Miguel and before Sunday Mass at St. Mary Magdalene–Magdalena; appointments are available by calling the parish office.
- Baptism: 2nd & 4th Sundays (class 1st Thursday 6:30 PM, Guadalupe Chapel)
- Confession: Sat 3:45–4:45 PM, before Mass at Magdalena, or by appointment
- Adult initiation: RCIA through Deacon Mike Ybarra
- First Communion and Confirmation via CCD program
Ministries, Organizations and Community Life
San Miguel's ministries are unusually broad for a parish of its size, covering liturgical, charitable, musical, educational, social and devotional work. The parish directory on the website names a contact for each ministry, and the parish urges volunteers to complete VIRTUS training before beginning service.
- Liturgical: Altar Servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, three choirs (Sat 5 PM, Sun 8 AM, Sun 10 AM)
- Charitable: Matthew 25 Fund / Ministry for the Needy (Ann Hook)
- Fraternal: Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Legion of Mary
- Formational: CCD, RCIA, Apologetics (Terry Chester)
- Outreach: St. Patrick's Newman Center for NMT students (Deacon Nick Keller)
- Pastoral: Bereavement Ministry (Lala Chavez), Hospital / Home Visits
- Operations: Mayordomos, Grounds, Maintenance & Buildings
- Culture: Fiesta Committee (Fr. John, chair), Parish Gift Shop, Mission Museum (Museum Curator Donald Padilla)
Missions and Outreach to the Wider Region
Beyond its walls on El Camino Real, San Miguel Mission pastors mission communities in surrounding central New Mexico — including St. Mary Magdalene in Magdalena and rotating monthly Masses (typically at 7:00 PM) at La Sagrada Familia in Lemitar and San José in Luis López. The parish also hosts parish fiestas and supports the Mayordomos tradition; current 'Missions News' on the website highlights the San Jose Cemetery in Luis Lopez reaching capacity and the need to excavate and build a retaining wall for a new section, plus a stained-glass restoration at La Sagrada Familia in Lemitar.
- St. Mary Magdalene, Magdalena (Sunday 12:00 PM Mass)
- La Sagrada Familia, Lemitar (monthly Mission Mass)
- San José, Luis López (monthly Mission Mass)
- Mayordomos stewardship of parish missions
- St. Patrick's Newman Center, 801 School of Mines Rd., Socorro (NMT students)
Parish Office, Gift Shop and Visiting
The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed 12:00 noon–1:00 PM) and Friday 8:30 AM–12:00 noon. Volunteers are reminded to complete VIRTUS training. The San Miguel Gift Shop, originally listed under Rita Steinnerd (manager), has published open hours (e.g. Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00 AM–1:00 PM, Fridays 10:00 AM–12:00 noon), and the parish itself is open daily for prayer and worship.
- Parish Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed noon–1:00 PM); Fri 8:30 AM–12:00 noon
- San Miguel Gift Shop: see bulletin for current hours; staffed by parish volunteers
- Parish museum of mission artifacts (Museum Curator Donald Padilla)
- VIRTUS training required for all volunteer ministers