About San Mateo · San Mateo, New Mexico
San Mateo Church is a small Catholic mission church serving the village of San Mateo in Cibola County, New Mexico, in the high desert west of Albuquerque. It is one of four parishes in the 'Cibola Catholic Community' alongside St. Teresa of Avila, St. Vivian, and San Rafael. Once an independent parish from 1981, it reverted to mission status after the post-uranium boom population decline, and today its members gather for Mass twice a month in a church rebuilt after a 2004 fire.
- Established
- 1880s
- Patron
- Saint Matthew (San Mateo)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Augustine Laiju Mathew, JCL (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Gallup
Why belong here
San Mateo offers a small, tight-knit Catholic community in rural Cibola County where members know one another and worship in a church with deep roots going back to the 1800s. As part of the Four Parishes Community — St. Teresa's, St. Vivian's, San Rafael and San Mateo — visitors and parishioners benefit from shared clergy and ministries across the four mission churches. The current church, dedicated in 2005 after a devastating fire, stands as a testament to the resilience and generosity of a community that has kept the faith alive even as the local population shrank after the uranium boom.
Mass times at San Mateo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday before Mass
San Mateo Church
San Mateo is one of four Catholic parishes in the Cibola Catholic Community, a grouping of mission churches that includes St. Teresa of Avila, St. Vivian and San Rafael. The parish serves the village of San Mateo in Cibola County, New Mexico, where the church sits in the middle of town at 31 Main Street. Mass is celebrated on the first and third Saturday of the month at 4:00 PM, and confessions are heard before Mass.
- Mass: 1st and 3rd Saturday at 4:00 PM
- Confessions: Saturday before Mass
- Address: 31 Main Street, San Mateo, NM 87020
History of the Parish
Soon after the end of the Civil War, settlers moved into what would become San Mateo, established large ranches, and built a small adobe chapel with a dirt floor so visiting priests from Cebolleta could say Mass. A larger chapel was built by the Baca family in the late 1800s. The flat roof was later changed to a gabled roof and a bell tower added to the front. In 1960 the Blessed Sacrament was reserved at the church and weekly weekday Mass began.
Founding as a Parish (1981)
On October 15, 1981, San Mateo was formally established as a parish of the Diocese of Gallup, and Father Adalberto de Gante was assigned as its first pastor. A rectory was obtained in 1982, and a small parish hall was later built behind the church. The community grew with the local uranium mining boom.
- Parish established: October 15, 1981
- First pastor: Father Adalberto de Gante
- Rectory obtained: 1982
Return to Mission Status
When the uranium mines began closing, the local economy collapsed and many families moved away. The parish sold its rectory and reverted to mission status under St. Vivian Parish in Milan, where priests said Mass once a week.
The 2004 Fire and Rebuilding
In 2004, a faulty heater caused a fire that severely damaged the walls and roof of the church. Community pledges and insurance proceeds funded a new church built to resemble the previous structure while meeting modern fire and construction codes. Bishop Donald E. Pelotte dedicated the new church building in 2005.
- Fire: 2004
- Rebuild dedicated: 2005
- Dedicator: Bishop Donald E. Pelotte
Clergy & Staff
San Mateo is served by the priests of the Four Parishes Community. The Parochial Administrator oversees the four churches, assisted by two parochial vicars and a deacon.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Fr. Augustine Laiju Mathew, JCL
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Johnson, SC
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Fr. Aaron Alford
- Deacon: Larry Chavez
The Cibola Catholic Community
San Mateo is part of the broader Cibola Catholic Community, which groups four parishes in Cibola County, New Mexico, under shared pastoral leadership: St. Teresa of Avila, St. Vivian, San Rafael and San Mateo.
- St. Teresa of Avila
- St. Vivian
- San Rafael
- San Mateo
Diocese of Gallup
San Mateo belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup, whose bishop is the Most Reverend James S. Wall. The diocese covers parishes across western New Mexico and northern Arizona, many serving small, rural communities with deep Catholic heritage.
- Diocese: Diocese of Gallup
- Bishop: Most Reverend James S. Wall
Contact
The parish office for San Mateo can be reached by phone at 505-287-9327 (Diocese of Gallup listing) or 505-285-6645 / 505-285-6646 (parish listing on cibolacatholiccommunity.com). Mail may be sent to P.O. Box 668, c/o St. Teresa's. The parish maintains a Facebook presence as 'Cibola Catholic Community' and shares information at cibolacatholiccommunity.com.
- Phone (Diocese listing): 505-287-9327
- Phone (Parish listing): 505-285-6645 / 505-285-6646
- Mail: P.O. Box 668 (c/o St. Teresa's)
- Website: cibolacatholiccommunity.com
- Facebook: Cibola Catholic Community
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Adalberto de Gante1981–
First pastor of San Mateo when it was formally established as a parish on October 15, 1981.