About San Antonio · Tajique, New Mexico
San Antonio Catholic Church is a historic mission church in the tiny village of Tajique, New Mexico, situated in the foothills of the Manzano Mountains southeast of Albuquerque. It is the oldest of the four churches that make up Estancia Valley Catholic Parish (EVCP), alongside Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Moriarty (the parish seat), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Edgewood, and Saints Peter and Paul in Estancia. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 9:30 a.m., and the church is the focal point of the beloved annual Fiestas de San Antonio, a multi-day patron-saint celebration featuring Vespers, a Eucharistic procession, Mass, parish-cooked meals, Bingo, a Cornhole tournament, and the traditional 'entriega' handover of mayordomo duties to the incoming families.
- Patron
- San Antonio (Saint Anthony of Padua)
- Rector
- Reverend Angelo Marquez
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
San Antonio in Tajique welcomes visitors to one of the oldest Catholic communities in central New Mexico, where Mass is still celebrated every Sunday morning in a village church that has served worshippers since the Spanish colonial era. The parish family keeps Hispanic devotional traditions vibrantly alive through the annual Fiestas de San Antonio, a weekend of Vespers, Eucharistic procession, Mass, parish-cooked hospitality, and the ceremonial 'entriega' passing mayordomo duties from outgoing to incoming families. As one of four interconnected churches in Estancia Valley Catholic Parish, San Antonio offers the intimacy of a small mountain village while connecting parishioners to a wider network of ministries, RCIA-style formation, Seven Sisters prayer for priests, Bible studies, and Knights of Columbus service.
Mass times at San Antonio
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — call the Parish Office at 505-832-6655 (parish-wide reconciliation is offered 9:30 AM–12:00 PM Fridays at Our Lady of Mt Carmel, Moriarty, and 6:30 PM–8:00 PM Tuesdays at St Elizabeth Ann Seton, Edgewood)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered across the Estancia Valley Catholic Parish (see parish schedule)
Parish Profile & Mission
San Antonio Catholic Church sits in the village of Tajique, one of four worship sites of Estancia Valley Catholic Parish — a single canonical parish comprising San Antonio (Tajique), Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Moriarty, the parish seat), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Edgewood), and Saints Peter and Paul (Estancia). The parish describes itself as 'four distinct churches as one unique and dynamic Parish.' San Antonio is the oldest of the four, and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe lists it as a mission of Our Lady of Mount Carmel while it remains an active Sunday Mass site.
- Oldest of the four Estancia Valley Catholic Parish churches
- Mission of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Moriarty
- Parish Office: 1400 3rd St. S, Moriarty, NM 87035
History of San Antonio and the Village of Tajique
Tajique was established in the early 1600s as the seat of the San Miguel Mission and was the first Spanish settlement in the foothills of the Manzano Mountains. A Tiwa pueblo once stood on the south bank of Tajique Creek; 'Tajique' is a corruption of the Tiwa word 'Tashike.' In 1674 the population doubled to about 600 after an Apache raid on Quarai drove refugees to the area, but the pueblo was abandoned again within a year and not resettled until 1834, when Manuel Sánchez secured a land grant for himself and 19 others.
- Early 1600s: Tajique founded; seat of San Miguel Mission
- 1674: Influx of refugees after Apache raid on Quarai
- 1834: Manuel Sánchez land grant repopulates the area
Fiesta de San Antonio
The annual Fiesta de San Antonio is the highlight of the parish year at the Tajique church. Saturday evening opens with Vespers, Benediction, and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a Eucharistic procession through the village. Sunday begins with Mass (often presided by the pastor and accompanied by parishioner musicians on accordion and guitar), then the procession and a parish-cooked community meal that has drawn roughly 150 attendees. The weekend's festivities include Bingo, a Cake Walk, a children's horse-race game, and a Knights of Columbus Cornhole tournament, before closing with the traditional 'entriega' — the ceremonial song that hands mayordomo duties from outgoing to incoming families.
- Saturday: Vespers, Benediction, Exposition, Eucharistic Procession
- Sunday: Fiesta Mass, parish-cooked meal, Bingo, Cornhole, Cake Walk, horse-race game
- Closing tradition: 'entriega' mayordomo handover
Parish Staff & Clergy
The Estancia Valley Catholic Parish staff serving all four churches includes Pastor Rev. Angelo Marquez — a New Mexico-born priest ordained in 2016 who serves the parish alongside his role as Director of Ongoing Formation of Priests for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe — Parochial Vicar Rev. Emmanuel Okoye, and Priest in Residence Rev. Christopher Bernabe. Lay staff include Business Manager Mrs. Virginia Baldonado, Office Manager Mrs. Janet Doyle, and Deacon Lincoln Richey, who frequently leads the San Antonio Fiesta Vespers, Benediction, and procession.
- Reverend Angelo Marquez — Pastor
- Reverend Emmanuel Okoye — Parochial Vicar
- Reverend Christopher Bernabe — Priest in Residence
- Deacon Lincoln Richey
- Mrs. Virginia Baldonado — Business Manager
- Mrs. Janet Doyle — Office Manager ([email protected])
Mayordomo Ministry
The parish recently rolled out a new Mayordomo System across its four churches. Historically one or two couples handled cleaning and all duties; today several mayordomos share different roles within each church. At San Antonio, Laura Romero serves in the Communications mayordomo role.
- Cleaning the church
- Setting up for Masses
- Laura Romero — Communications, San Antonio
Liturgical & Formational Ministries
San Antonio and the wider parish draw on a range of lay ministries to support liturgy, formation, and prayer. Alongside the traditional ministries, the parish hosts a Seven Sisters apostolate that assigns one Holy Hour per week, prayed in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, for the intention of the priests — Fr. Angelo, Fr. Emmanuel, and Fr. Christopher. Fr. Emmanuel leads a recurring Bible Study (with plans for another in September, by parishioner suggestion), and seminarian Robert Kelly (from Mora, NM) spent the summer of 2025 with the parish, helping develop a Bible Study for parishioners.
- Altar Servers
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Music Ministry
- Hospitality
- Art and Environment
- Seven Sisters Holy Hour for priests
- Bible Study with Fr. Emmanuel Okoye
- Seminarian Robert Kelly — summer formation
Devotions & Prayer Life
Prayer traditions at San Antonio blend Spanish colonial heritage with contemporary lay apostolates. The Fiesta procession, Benediction, and Exposition are central acts of public worship, while the Seven Sisters Holy Hour quietly undergirds the priests' ministry through daily Eucharistic adoration.
- Vespers and Eucharistic Procession (Fiesta Saturday)
- Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
- Seven Sisters daily Holy Hour for the priests
Outreach, Fellowship & Fiesta Traditions
San Antonio's Fiesta draws gifts from across the Estancia Valley Catholic Parish: the Bingo set is borrowed from San Antonio Church in Torreon, a horse-race bench comes from a parishioner in Estancia, prizes are donated by local businesses from Tajique to Edgewood, and the Knights of Columbus serve refreshments and run the Cornhole tournament. The result is a fully collaborative weekend that 'literally took a community at large to make happen.'
- Knights of Columbus — Cornhole, refreshments, prizes
- Parish-wide cooking team and hospitality
- Cross-parish borrowing of equipment and supplies
- Local business sponsorship from Tajique to Edgewood
Visit, Contact & Directions
San Antonio Catholic Church is located at 8566 Highway 55, Tajique, NM 87016. From Estancia, take Highway 55 west from Highway 41 (5th Street) for 13 miles; the highway turns south and the church is on the right shortly after. The shared Parish Office is at 1400 3rd St. S, Moriarty, NM 87035, reachable at (505) 832-6655, and the parish-wide website is estanciavalleycatholic.church.
- Address: 8566 Hwy. 55, Tajique, NM 87016
- Phone: (505) 832-6655
- Parish Office: 1400 3rd St. S, Moriarty, NM 87035
- Website: https://www.estanciavalleycatholic.church/san-antonio
Safety & Safe Environment
The parish supports the Archdiocese's protection of children and vulnerable adults. Anyone serving in ministries is required to complete Virtus Training and a background check; certificates are valid for five years and must be renewed.
- Virtus Training Certificate required for all ministry volunteers
- Background check included
- Certificates valid 5 years
- VIRTUS Online offered in English and Spanish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Robert Lancasterthrough 2023
Listed as pastor of Estancia Valley Catholic Parish in Archdiocese of Santa Fe assignment effective July 20, 2023.
- Reverend Adrian Sisnerosuntil August 1, 2023
Previously parochial vicar of EVCP; reassigned as pastor of St. Joseph on Aug. 1, 2023.