About San Juan Bautista Mission · Coyote, New Mexico
San Juan Bautista Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church in the village of Coyote, New Mexico, set in the rural Rio Arriba highlands west of Abiquiú. It is one of seven historic churches that together form St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, with the mother church of Santo Tomás el Apóstol located in Abiquiú. The mission takes its name from Saint John the Baptist, whose Nativity is celebrated on June 24, and it is served by the pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish along with a local team of volunteer mayordomos, lectors, and musicians.
- Patron
- Saint John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista)
- Rector
- Rev. Valentine Phu Au
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
Why belong here
San Juan Bautista Mission offers a warm, intimate Catholic home in the remote village of Coyote, where Sunday Mass is shared with the neighboring mission of Youngsville and weekday Mass is offered on Thursdays at noon. Parishioners participate through long-standing Hispano Catholic traditions — mayordomo leadership, the annual San Juan Bautista fiesta on June 24, lectors, altar servers, music ministers, and homebound visits — making it easy to find a meaningful role. As part of the larger St. Thomas the Apostle Parish family, worshippers in Coyote are also connected to six other historic churches across northern New Mexico, giving them a wider community of faith while keeping the small-village character of their home mission.
Mass times at San Juan Bautista Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 11:30 am (every last Thursday of the month)
San Juan Bautista Mission in Coyote
San Juan Bautista Mission is the Catholic mission church in the small village of Coyote, New Mexico, located in Rio Arriba County along County Road 212. The mission belongs to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, whose parish office and main church, Santo Tomás el Apóstol, sit in the historic plaza of Abiquiú. The parish describes itself as 'One Parish — Seven Historic Churches in Northern New Mexico,' with San Juan Bautista being one of the six outlying mission churches served from Abiquiú. Together with the other missions — Cañones, Youngsville, Gallina, Medanales, and Mesa de Poleo — San Juan Bautista shares priests, bulletins, and pastoral care while keeping its own village identity.
- Village: Coyote, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
- Address: 54 Rio Arriba Co Rd 212, Coyote, NM 87012
- Parish family: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, Abiquiú
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Patron Saint: Saint John the Baptist
The mission takes its name from Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of the Coyote church. According to the parish website, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist — observed on June 24 — is 'one of the oldest feasts in the liturgy of the Church.' Saint John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, a cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was sanctified before birth. He is venerated as the precursor of the Messiah, and the angel's announcement that 'many would rejoice in his birth' is why June 24 is ranked among the joyous feasts of the year.
- Patron: San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist)
- Feast Day: June 24 — the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
- Also commemorated: martyrdom under King Herod (per Holy Scriptures)
Mission Contacts and Ministries
Day-to-day parish life in Coyote is carried by local volunteer ministers, whose names and numbers are listed on the parish website. These ministers serve as lectors and Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, musicians, visitors to the homebound, hospitality hosts, and mayordomos who care for the church and coordinate the annual fiesta. The mayordomo tradition is central to Hispano Catholic life and is the backbone of the San Juan Bautista celebration each June.
- Lector / EM — Dennis & Mercedes Gallegos — 575-638-5613
- Altar Server — John Gallegos — 575-638-0196
- Music — Frances Branch — 575-638-5656
- Homebound visits — Crystal Gallegos — 575-638-0196
- Hospitality — Pauline Chacon — 575-638-5596
- Mayordomos — Albert & Frances Branch — 575-638-5656; Trudy & Cathy Chacon — 505-753-6072
Parish Fiesta Tradition
Each mission church in the parish celebrates the feast day of its patron saint, and the fiesta at Coyote honors San Juan Bautista on June 24. These fiestas — coordinated by the mayordomos and the parish-wide St. Thomas Fiesta Committee — sustain centuries-old religious and cultural traditions across the region. The committee is open to new members and depends on community donations, volunteer labor, and parish fundraising such as the Silent Auction and Raffle held during Santa Rosa de Lima Fiesta in Abiquiú.
- Coyote — San Juan Bautista — June 24
- Cañones — San Miguel — September 29
- Gallina — Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe — December 12 (celebrated September 16)
- Medanales — San Antonio — June 13
- Youngsville — San Pedro — June 29
- Mesa de Poleo — Santa Teresa — October 14
- Fiesta Committee contact: Thomas & Vanessa Barela — 505-692-8229
Getting to San Juan Bautista
Coyote sits in the rural countryside west of Abiquiú and is reached by county roads. Visitors traveling from NM-96 should turn north on County Road 214; the church is located right at the intersection of County Road 212. Because the mission's Mass and confession schedule can rotate with the other missions in the parish family, visitors are urged to call the parish office at 505-685-1153 to confirm times before traveling.
- Directions: From NM-96, turn north on Co Rd 214; the church is at the intersection with Co Rd 212.
- Address: 54 Rio Arriba Co Rd 212, Coyote, NM 87012
- Phone to confirm schedule: 505-685-1153
Parish Office and Staff
Pastoral care for San Juan Bautista Mission comes from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Abiquiú. The parish is led by Rev. Valentine Phu Au as Pastor/Administrator, with Robin Dominguez serving as Office Manager. The parish office, located to the right of the church building at Santo Tomás el Apóstol in Abiquiú, is open Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (closed on holidays), and meetings with Father Valentine are by appointment only.
- Pastor/Administrator: Rev. Valentine Phu Au
- Office Manager: Robin Dominguez
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 117, Abiquiu, NM 87510-0117
- Phone: 505-685-1153
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tuesday–Thursday, 8:00 am–1:00 pm (closed holidays)