About San Jose Mission · Luis Lopez, New Mexico
San Jose Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church in the farming village of Luis Lopez, New Mexico, in Socorro County. It is one of several mission churches served by San Miguel Catholic Church in Socorro, the oldest Catholic parish in the United States (founded 1598). San Jose Mission shares San Miguel's pastor and staff and is celebrated with a Saturday evening Mission Mass on the 4th Saturday of every month at 7:00 p.m. As a rural community-built adobe mission more than a century old, it continues to draw the local faithful of Luis Lopez and surrounding farmland for Mass, devotions and the upkeep of the parish cemetery.
- Established
- c. 1833 (first mission); c. 1900 (present church)
- Patron
- Saint Joseph (San Jose)
- Rector
- Fr. John Anasiudu (pastor of San Miguel Parish, which ministers to San Jose Mission)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
San Jose Mission is a deeply rooted rural Catholic community in the heart of Socorro County, served by San Miguel Parish in Socorro and its pastor, Fr. John Anasiudu, together with Deacons Mike Ybarra and Nick Keller. Worshippers gather at the century-old adobe church on the 4th Saturday of each month for a 7:00 p.m. Mission Mass, and they share in the wider parish life of San Miguel — including faith formation, RCIA, the annual Catholic Appeal, and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Joining or visiting San Jose means becoming part of a multigenerational Luis Lopez family that has literally built and maintained its own mission church for more than 120 years.
Mass times at San Jose Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (call the parish office at 575-835-2891 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on weekdays)
Adoration times
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held each Friday following the 9:00 a.m. Mass at San Miguel Church in Socorro
San Jose Mission at Luis Lopez
San Jose Mission is a small, rural Roman Catholic mission church serving the farming village of Luis Lopez in Socorro County, New Mexico. It is one of several missions served from San Miguel Catholic Church in Socorro, sharing its pastor and parish staff. Like the other San Miguel missions, it is celebrated with a 7:00 p.m. Saturday Mission Mass on a rotating monthly schedule, with San Jose assigned the 4th Saturday of each month. The mission continues to be a vibrant expression of community-built Catholicism on the Rio Grande.
- Patron: Saint Joseph (San Jose)
- Mission Mass: 4th Saturday of the month, 7:00 p.m.
- Parent parish: San Miguel Catholic Church, Socorro
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe
History of San Jose Mission
The mission traces back to the early 19th century. According to Socorro County historian Paul Harden, the Hacienda de Luis Lopez was first settled by Spanish colonists in the 1600s and was re-established as a farming community in the 1830s. The first parish records begin in 1833, and the original mission dedicated to San Jose was built shortly thereafter on the riverbank. The 1895 Rio Grande flood destroyed both that mission and most of the original Luis Lopez village, forcing the community to relocate to higher ground. The villagers built the present adobe church themselves around 1900, making every brick and bucket of plaster by hand.
- First mission recorded: 1833, dedicated to San Jose
- Original mission and village destroyed in the 1895 flood of the Rio Grande
- Present church constructed c. 1900 by the residents of Luis Lopez
- Original Stations of the Cross carved by Abran Garcia; later replaced by those from the dismantled church at Tokay
Daily Mass and Devotions at San Miguel
Mission faithful are also welcome at the daily Masses and devotions celebrated at the parent church of San Miguel in Socorro. The weekday schedule is Monday — Liturgy of the Word with Distribution of Holy Communion at 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday Mass at 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday Mass at 9:00 a.m.; Thursday Mass at 9:00 a.m.; Friday Mass at 9:00 a.m. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held each Friday following the 9:00 a.m. Mass.
- Monday 5:30 p.m. — Communion Service
- Tuesday 5:30 p.m. — Mass
- Wednesday 9:00 a.m. — Mass
- Thursday 9:00 a.m. — Mass
- Friday 9:00 a.m. — Mass, followed by Adoration
Parish Staff and Leadership
San Jose Mission is shepherded together with the other San Miguel missions by the pastor and deacons of San Miguel Parish. Fr. John Anasiudu serves as pastor; Deacons Mike Ybarra and Nick Keller assist with Liturgy, RCIA, the Newman Center, and parish outreach. The parish is administered by Administrative Assistant Annie Anaya and Business Manager Rowena Romero, with Religious Education led by Christina Romero. The Parish Council is led by President Frank Lewark, with Bernadette Zamora as Secretary.
- Pastor: Fr. John Anasiudu
- Deacons: Mike Ybarra, Nick Keller
- Administrative Assistant: Annie Anaya
- Business Manager: Rowena Romero
- Religious Education: Christina Romero
- RCIA: Deacon Mike Ybarra
- Newman Center (NM Tech): Deacon Nick Keller
- Gift Shop: Rita Steinnerd (575-418-8324)
- Parish Council: Frank Lewark (President); Caleb Kerr (Vice-President); Bernadette Zamora (Secretary)
Parish Vision Statement
The parish of San Miguel and its missions, including San Jose, adopted the following vision statement on May 15, 2007: 'We, the faith-filled members of San Miguel Parish and its Missions, a part of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, find strength, unity and grace in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. As the voices and hands of Jesus in our time, our purpose is to express God's grace by offering Christian Love and Service to each other and to everyone we meet. We reach out to the world in prayer, action and deeds in unity with the Holy Roman Catholic Church.'
- Adopted May 15, 2007
- Rooted in the Eucharist and Christian service
- Operates in unity with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Cemetery and Community Stewardship
The San Jose Cemetery in Luis Lopez is reported by the parish as full, and the community is fundraising to develop a new cemetery site. The work involves excavating dirt and constructing a retaining wall to prevent future flooding into the cemetery (a reminder of the same Rio Grande flood risk that destroyed the original 1830s mission). Parishioners are encouraged to contact the church office or speak with the Majordomos if they can assist with this project. The Majordomo tradition, long practiced in New Mexico Spanish Catholic villages, places stewardship of the mission, church buildings and cemetery in the hands of elected local laymen.
- San Jose Cemetery (Luis Lopez) is full
- New cemetery development ongoing: excavation and retaining wall
- Fundraising through the parish office and the Majordomos
Annual Catholic Appeal
San Miguel Parish and its missions, including San Jose, participate in the Annual Catholic Appeal of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The 2024 parish goal was $19,500; the parish reported $23,630 pledged and $24,170 paid, with 88 of approximately 600 families participating. Contributions support archdiocesan ministries throughout central New Mexico.
- 2024 ACA Goal: $19,500
- 2024 Total Pledged: $23,630
- 2024 Total Paid: $24,170
- Participating families: 88 of ~600
Fiesta Mass at Luis Lopez
Each June the Luis Lopez community celebrates its traditional Spanish-colonial Fiestas with a special Fiesta Mass. San Antonio Fiesta Mass at Luis Lopez has been scheduled in recent years for June 13 at 10:00 a.m., with the San Lorenzo Mass at Polvadera on the same day at 7:00 p.m., and the San Juan Bautista Fiesta Mass at Kelly on June 20 at 10:00 a.m. These gatherings bring together the mission families of San Miguel Parish for outdoor celebration, food, music, and renewed devotion to the patron saints.
- San Antonio Fiesta Mass at Luis Lopez — annual June date
- San Lorenzo Fiesta Mass at Polvadera — annual June date
- San Juan Bautista Fiesta Mass at Kelly — annual June date
Visiting San Jose Mission and the San Miguel Missions
Visitors to central New Mexico are warmly welcomed to the San Miguel missions. The San Miguel parish office (403 El Camino Real, Socorro) is open Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.) and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Tourists often combine a visit to San Miguel — one of the oldest Catholic churches in the United States, founded in 1598 — with stops at the rural missions of Polvadera, Lemitar and Luis Lopez, all within easy driving distance along the Rio Grande valley.
- Parish office: 403 El Camino Real, Socorro, NM 87801
- Office phone: 575-835-2891; fax 575-835-1620
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Fri 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon