San Rafael

San Rafael Church — Overview

San Rafael Church is the Catholic parish of the small village of San Rafael in Cibola County, western New Mexico. It sits at 100 Guadalupe Plaza and is one of four churches that together form the Cibola Catholic Community, administered from Grants under the Diocese of Gallup. The parish's current public-facing page identifies Rev. Fr. Augustine L. Mathew, JCL as the Parochial Administrator for the Cibola Catholic Community, with Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Johnson, SC and Fr. Aaron Alford as Parochial Vicars and Deacon Larry Chavez serving the parish. The diocese lists Most Rev. James S. Wall, the Fourth Bishop of Gallup, as the ordinary.

History

Catholic life in San Rafael began with the original Fort Wingate, established in 1862 near the present-day village. Religious services were at first supplied sporadically from Seboyeta (Cebolleta) and held in a small private chapel. Fr. Jose Rafael Chavez was the first Catholic priest to serve. In 1879 the parish of San Rafael was formally established with about 300 Catholics. Father Juan B. Brun raised funds along the Santa Fe Railway and began construction of a church in 1885; the building was not blessed until 1906 and dedicated to San Rafael. By that time the formerly large parish had again become a mission, and was cared for by Fr. George J. Juillard (1888–1909) and then by the Cincinnati Franciscans from 1910 onward.

• 1862 — Original Fort Wingate established near present-day San Rafael; early Masses said in a private chapel.
• 1879 — Parish of San Rafael formally established; ~300 Catholics counted.
• 1885–1906 — First church begun in 1885, finally roofed and blessed in 1906 after years of disputes.
• 1888–1909 — Fr. George J. Juillard serves; travels once a month from Gallup.
• 1910 — Franciscan Fathers of Cincinnati assigned to the parish; Fr. Robert Kalt, OFM serves as pastor until 1945.
• 1921 — San Fidel becomes a parish; San Rafael attached to it, later to Grants.
• 1930 — Fire destroys the church on May 18.
• 1934 — Present church completed by Pringman Company of Albuquerque.
• 1962 — Parish hall constructed and blessed; later enlarged.
• 1971 — San Rafael again named a parish; Father Samual Wilson becomes first diocesan pastor.
• 1981 — Major renovation; stained-glass window installed over the front door.
• 1999 — Resident pastor replaced by a deacon-administrator due to priest shortage.
• 2005 — Sister Ellen Corcoran, SCSJA, appointed parish administrator.

The Church Building

San Rafael's current church is a humble adobe-and-stone structure completed in 1934, replacing the building that burned on May 18, 1930. While the 1930 fire destroyed the church, the sacristy survived and services were held there — and in private homes — until the new church was begun. In 1981 the church underwent extensive renovation, highlighted by the installation of a stained-glass window over the front door. A parish hall was built and blessed in 1962 and has since been enlarged. A building committee now oversees repairs to the stone and adobe walls, reflecting the parish's commitment to preserving its mission-era architecture.

• Completed 1934 by the Pringman Company of Albuquerque.
• 1981 renovation — stained-glass window installed over the front door.
• Parish hall built and blessed in 1962; since enlarged.
• Active building committee caring for the historic stone and adobe walls.

The Cibola Catholic Community

San Rafael is one of four parishes in the Cibola Catholic Community, a collaborative grouping within the Diocese of Gallup that shares clergy and administrative resources. The other churches are St. Vivian in Milan, St. Teresa in Grants, and San Mateo. The community's website identifies Rev. Fr. Augustine L. Mathew, JCL as the Parochial Administrator and lists Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Johnson, SC and Fr. Aaron Alford as Parochial Vicars. Bishop Most Rev. James S. Wall serves as the ordinary of the diocese. A Facebook page under the name 'Cibola Catholic Community' carries news and bulletins for the grouping.

• San Rafael (San Rafael, NM)
• St. Vivian (Milan, NM)
• St. Teresa (Grants, NM)
• San Mateo (NM)
• Parochial Administrator: Rev. Fr. Augustine L. Mathew, JCL
• Parochial Vicars: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Johnson, SC; Fr. Aaron Alford
• Bishop: Most Rev. James S. Wall

Patron and Feast Day

The parish is named for San Rafael — the Archangel Raphael, one of the three archangels venerated in Catholic tradition and the patron of travelers, the sick, physicians, and healing. Archangel Raphael's feast is celebrated in the post-1969 General Roman Calendar on September 29 together with Saints Michael and Gabriel; the older calendar observance, still kept in some local churches and in the 1960 Missal, falls on October 24, and the parish's traditional dedication is closely associated with that date.

• Patron: San Rafael (Archangel Raphael)
• Traditional feast day: October 24 (in some local calendars); September 29 in the current General Roman Calendar.