About San Jose de los Duranes Mission · Albuquerque, New Mexico
San Jose de los Duranes Mission (San José en los Duranes) is a Catholic mission church in the historic Los Duranes neighborhood of Albuquerque's North Valley, and has been served as a mission of San Felipe de Neri Parish since the 1890s. The mission sits at 2110 Los Luceros Road NW, where the modern mission church was built in the 1960s to replace the original adobe Capilla de San José (the Los Duranes Chapel, c. 1890). The original chapel — a New Mexico vernacular adobe-and-terron structure on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984 — still stands nearby on Indian School Road as a community landmark. The mission welcomes visitors to Saturday evening Mass and to holy day liturgies celebrated by the priests of San Felipe de Neri Parish.
- Established
- c. 1890
- Patron
- Saint Joseph (San José)
- Rector
- Rev. Dennis Garcia (Pastor of San Felipe de Neri Parish, which administers the mission)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
Why belong here
San Jose de los Duranes is a small, historic neighborhood mission where Mass has been celebrated continuously since the 1890s, serving the Los Duranes farming community of Albuquerque's North Valley. Worship is in English on Saturday evenings at 6:00 PM, with holy day Masses also celebrated here. Parishioners keep the old adobe chapel alive as a landmark and care for the modern mission church through the mayordomos tradition, music ministry, lectors, altar servers, and homebound ministry coordinated through San Felipe de Neri Parish. It is a quiet, rooted place to belong — especially for those who live in or love the Los Duranes, Los Ranchos, and Old Town side of Albuquerque.
Mass times at San Jose de los Duranes Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
History of the Los Duranes Community
Los Duranes was a small farming community founded by the Duran family around 1750 along El Camino Real, the royal road from Chihuahua to Santa Fe. A Spanish census in 1790 listed the Plaza del Señor San José de los Duranes, with 27 families, as one of six defined settlements north of the Villa de Albuquerque, alongside Los Candelarias, Los Griegos, Los Gallegos, Los Ranchos and Alameda. Acequias of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District still form a network of informal pathways and an oasis in the desert along the Rio Grande; flooding before the levees took away much of the historic architecture, but a few early farmhouses remain.
- Los Duranes founded c. 1750 by the Duran family along El Camino Real
- 1790 Spanish census: 27 families at the Plaza del Señor San José de los Duranes
- One of six defined settlements north of the Villa de Albuquerque de San Felipe
- Traditional irrigation by acequias of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District
The Original Capilla de San José (Los Duranes Chapel)
Around 1885, María Jaramillo donated a small house and enclosure to the parish for the worship of San José and the benefit of the entire Los Duranes community (Archdiocese of Santa Fe records). That structure was replaced by the adobe-and-terron chapel built around 1890, which served as the spiritual heart of the farming community until a larger church was built in the 1960s. The chapel sat vacant and was vandalized until 1982–1984, when community members undertook a careful restoration — replastering walls, replacing pews, rails and doors, and reinstalling original religious artwork, including paintings of the Crucifixion and a santo of St. Joseph. It was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1983 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
- Built c. 1890 following María Jaramillo's 1885 donation of 'una pieza de casa con un serco'
- New Mexico vernacular, adobe and terron, two-foot-thick walls
- Restored 1982–1984 by community members
- NM State Register of Cultural Properties: August 25, 1983
- National Register of Historic Places: February 9, 1984 (NRHP #84002854)
Architecture of the 1890 Chapel
The Los Duranes Chapel is a modest, little-altered example of late 19th-century New Mexico chapel architecture. Its two-foot-thick terron walls rest on what is now a concrete slab foundation; the corrugated metal gable roof has a wood-shingled gable end at the front and a three-sided hipped section over the apse. A small frame bell tower topped with a wooden cross rises at the center of the roof, and a carved wooden cross sits above the double-door entrance on the front façade. A polygonal apse on the west end and a small shed-roofed wing on the north side hold the sacristy. The original bell was stolen and replaced during the 1980s restoration.
- Polygonal apse at the west end
- Corrugated metal gable roof with wood-shingled front gable
- Small frame bell tower with wooden cross
- Carved wooden cross above the wooden double doors
- Shed-roofed sacristy wing on the north side
The Mission Church in Use Today
After the Second World War, Los Duranes grew rapidly as new houses filled in the neighborhood, and the old Capilla de San José was no longer adequate. A property in the northeast corner of the neighborhood was donated for a new and larger church. This is the mission church still in use today — the present San Jose de los Duranes church at 2110 Los Luceros Road NW, where weekend and holy day Masses are celebrated.
- Built in the 1960s to replace the original Capilla de San José
- Located at 2110 Los Luceros Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 7007, Albuquerque, NM 87104
- Active mission church of San Felipe de Neri Parish
Mass and Worship Schedule
The community of San Jose en los Duranes welcomes all to join them in worship at the mission church. The regular weekend Mass is the Saturday Vigil at 6:00 PM in English, and evening Masses are also celebrated on high holy days. Sunday and weekday Masses are offered at the main San Felipe de Neri church (2005 N Plaza NW), just a few minutes away in Old Town.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 6:00 PM (English) at San Jose de los Duranes
- Evening Mass on Holy Days at San Jose de los Duranes
- Sunday Masses at San Felipe de Neri: 7:00 AM English, 9:00 AM Spanish, 11:00 AM English
- Weekday Masses at San Felipe de Neri: Monday–Friday 7:00 AM, 1st Saturday 7:00 AM
Music Ministry at the Mission
Choir leaders from San Felipe de Neri Parish serve the mission Masses alongside those at the main church. The 6:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass at San José en los Duranes (and the 9:00 AM Sunday Spanish Mass at San Felipe) is led by JoAnn Ulibarri. Joseph McCanna leads the 4:00 PM Vigil and 7:00 AM Sunday choirs, and Mary Padilla leads the 11:00 AM Sunday choir.
- JoAnn Ulibarri — Choir Leader, 6:00 PM Saturday Vigil at San José en los Duranes (and 9:00 AM Sunday Spanish Mass)
- Joseph McCanna — Choir Leader, 4:00 PM Saturday Vigil and 7:00 AM Sunday
- Mary Padilla — Choir Leader, 11:00 AM Sunday Mass
Parish Ministries
San José en los Duranes is served through the ministries of San Felipe de Neri Parish. The mayordomos tradition is especially important here: in addition to cleaning the church and sacristy, mayordomos at San José unlock the doors for services, prepare the books, candles, water, wine, hosts and vessels, and launder the linens. Ushers and greeters, altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and ministers to the homebound all support worship at the mission.
- Mayordomos (church care; at San José also unlock, set up, and launder linens)
- Hospitality Ministry (Ushers and Greeters)
- Altar Servers — coordinated by Edgar Romero Ramos (505-720-2588, [email protected])
- Lectors — coordinated by Gloria Perez
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Music Ministry / Choir
- Ministry to the Homebound — coordinated by Daniel Martinez ([email protected])
- Environment Ministry
- Deacon Tom Perez — Ministry Coordinator ([email protected], 505-243-4628)
Becoming Part of the Mission
Because San Jose de los Duranes is a mission of San Felipe de Neri Parish, registration, formation, and sacramental preparation are handled through the parish office at 2005 N Plaza NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104 (phone 505-243-4628). Visitors and neighbors are warmly welcomed at the 6:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass and at holy day celebrations at the mission church, and at all other liturgies at San Felipe de Neri in Old Town.
- Contact: San Felipe de Neri Parish Office — (505) 243-4628
- Parish Office Hours: Mon 10:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tue 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Wed 9:00 AM–12:00 PM; Thu 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–4:30 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM for lunch)
- All are welcome at the 6:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass at the mission
- Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Visiting Los Duranes and the Old Chapel
The mission church and the historic Los Duranes Chapel are both in Albuquerque's North Valley neighborhood of Los Duranes, a short drive from Old Town. Driving directions: from I-40 take exit 157A, north on Rio Grande Blvd., west (left) on Zickert Rd. for three blocks, then north (right) on Los Luceros Rd. NW for about 2½ blocks — the mission church is on the right. The restored 1890 chapel is on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as a community landmark near Duranes Elementary School on Indian School Road.
- From I-40 exit 157A, north on Rio Grande Blvd.
- West on Zickert Rd., then north on Los Luceros Rd. NW to 2110
- Original Los Duranes Chapel: 2601 Indian School Rd. NW (historic landmark)
- San Felipe de Neri main church: 2005 N Plaza NW, Albuquerque
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Luis Gabriel Gómez López, JFS (Administrator)2020
Member of the Sons of the Holy Family (Jesús Fernández Sández); assigned as administrator of San Felipe de Neri Parish effective July 2020, having previously served in Chimayó.