About San Jose Mission · Lyden, New Mexico
San Jose Mission is a small historic Catholic chapel in the village of Lyden, in Rio Arriba County, northern New Mexico. According to GCatholic, it is formally a mission of the Church of St. Anthony de Padua in Dixon and falls within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe. It is one of the rural mission chapels ('capillas') served cooperatively by San Antonio de Padua Parish in Peñasco and St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dixon, which share clergy, a website (dixonpenascocc.org), and a network of mission churches across the upper Río Embudo valley. Mass is celebrated only rarely at San Jose itself, with the surrounding faithful normally attending the nearby mission chapels or the Dixon parish church.
- Patron
- St. Joseph (San Jose)
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
San Jose Mission belongs to a tight-knit network of historic Hispanic mission chapels along the Río Embudo that are ministered to by the combined San Antonio de Padua (Peñasco) and St. Anthony of Padua (Dixon) parishes. For visitors and locals, belonging means joining a centuries-old tradition of small-village Catholic life in northern New Mexico, with shared Sunday Masses circulated through the local capillas (Rodarte, Chamisal, Picuris, Vadito, Velarde, etc.), access to the sacraments (including Reconciliation on Saturdays in Velarde or after Sunday Mass in Dixon), and participation in faith-formation programs for First Communion and Confirmation that the parishes run together.
Mass times at San Jose Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Peñasco: Fridays 4:30–5:30 PM or by appointment
- Velarde: Saturdays 2:30–3:30 PM (or 3:30–4:30 PM during daylight saving time) or by appointment
- Dixon: Sundays after the 10:30 AM Mass, or by appointment
San Jose Mission at a Glance
San Jose Mission is a small Catholic chapel in the village of Lyden, New Mexico, listed by GCatholic (Church ID 93745) as a mission of St. Anthony de Padua Parish in Dixon. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe and is one of the historic 'capillas' of the upper Río Embudo valley. Together with its sister mission, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Velarde (just 890 m away), it forms part of the rural mission network served by the Peñasco–Dixon parish cluster.
- Location: Lyden, NM 87582
- Diocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe
- Parent parish: St. Anthony of Padua, Dixon
- Type: Mission church
Parish Cluster: Peñasco & Dixon
San Jose Mission does not stand alone. It is ministered to as part of a paired-parish collaboration between San Antonio de Padua Catholic Church in Peñasco and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Dixon. The two parishes share clergy and a single website (dixonpenascocc.org), but each maintains its own parish office. Together they serve roughly ten mission chapels spread across the surrounding villages of the Río Embudo valley.
- San Antonio de Padua — Peñasco (parish church, 14079 N. NM-75)
- St. Anthony of Padua — Dixon (parish church)
- Shared clergy and shared website dixonpenascocc.org
- Ten mission chapels served by the cluster
Faith Formation & Sacraments
The Peñasco–Dixon cluster runs sacramental preparation together. Registration for First Holy Communion and Youth Confirmation is typically held in August; exact dates are posted each year on dixonpenascocc.org. Parishioners are asked to contact the Parish Office for information on Baptism, Marriage, and other sacraments.
- First Holy Communion — registration usually in August
- Youth Confirmation — registration usually in August
- Baptism, Marriage — contact Parish Office
Prayer & Devotions
The parish website publishes a number of popular Catholic devotions for parishioners to pray at home or in chapel. These include the Angelus, a Consecration to St. Joseph for homes and community, St. Alphonsus de Liguori's Act of Spiritual Communion, and a prayer of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- The Angelus
- Prayer of Consecration to St. Joseph
- Act of Spiritual Communion (St. Alphonsus de Liguori)
- Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Parish Life & Fundraising
The cluster relies on traditional parish fundraising to support its chapels and ministries. The 2026 parish raffle is featured on the homepage of dixonpenascocc.org, and the parish also invites visitors to support the mission network through the giving link on its website.
- Annual parish raffle (e.g. '2026 RAFFLE PRIZES')
- Online giving through dixonpenascocc.org
Visiting San Jose Mission
Lyden is a small village in the upper Río Embudo valley of Rio Arriba County between Velarde and Dixon, reached via NM-68. Because San Jose Mission has only occasional services, travelers are encouraged to call the shared parish office at (575) 587-0399 to confirm whether a particular Mass or event will be held at the chapel or at one of the nearby missions, and to obtain directions to the active site for that day.
- Region: Upper Río Embudo valley, Rio Arriba County, NM
- Nearest parish office: Peñasco/Dixon shared office
- Phone: (575) 587-0399