About San Ysidro · Corrales, New Mexico
San Ysidro Parish is a Roman Catholic community serving the Village of Corrales in Sandoval County, New Mexico, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The parish takes its name from San Ysidro (Saint Isidore the Farmer), the 12th-century Spanish farm laborer who is the patron saint of farmers and is celebrated as a patron of Corrales itself. Today's parish celebrates Mass daily, offers weekly Confession and Friday Eucharistic Adoration, runs an active K–12 Religious Education program with separate OCIA and pre-Cana tracks for adults, and gathers the wider village each May for the multi-day San Ysidro Fiesta that begins with an outdoor Mass and procession at the historic 1869 adobe church and ends with food, music, a Sweets-walk, arts and crafts, and an online silent auction.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- San Ysidro (Saint Isidore the Farmer)
- Rector
- Rev. James M. McGowan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
San Ysidro offers a small, welcoming village parish where you can know your neighbors by name: two Sunday Masses (the 11:00 AM bilingual), a Saturday Vigil, a daily 7:30 AM weekday Mass, Friday Adoration ending with Benediction, and weekly Saturday Confessions. Families are served by a full Religious Education program from pre-K through Confirmation, while adults can walk the OCIA journey, attend a Knights of Columbus-sponsored Bible study in Hendren Hall, or join the Legion of Mary, Ladies Sodality, Knights of Columbus, or St. Vincent de Paul conference. The parish also tends the historic San Ysidro Camposanto, and every May the whole community comes together for the outdoor Fiesta Mass and procession at the 1869 Old Church led by the Matachines — a celebration that has marked village life for more than 150 years.
Mass times at San Ysidro
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Adoration times
- Friday 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, ending with Benediction
- The church is open for private prayer and adoration Monday–Friday 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
About San Ysidro Parish
San Ysidro Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Village of Corrales, New Mexico, part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The parish celebrates daily Mass, weekly Confession, Friday Adoration, and a full calendar of family, youth, and adult ministries. The parish describes itself as a community committed to 'celebrating unity, building each other up in Christ, and serving alongside our community.'
- 5015 Corrales Road, Corrales, NM 87048
- Office: (505) 898-1779 — Emergencies: (505) 898-2770
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sanysidroparishnm.org (also sanysidroparish.org)
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
History of the Parish
Catholic life in Corrales began around 1750 with a Holy Family mission near the Rio Grande, served by priests from Sandia Pueblo and later from Our Lady of Sorrows in Bernalillo. After the 1868 flood destroyed that first chapel, the parishioners rebuilt on higher ground in 1869, creating the 'Old Historic Church' now on Old Church Road and dedicating it to San Ysidro. The current church on Corrales Road was volunteer-built in 1961–1962 and became an active parish in 1966, when a priest-in-residence first came to the village.
- c. 1750 — first Holy Family mission near the Rio Grande, served from Sandia Pueblo
- 1857 — ministry passes to priests from Our Lady of Sorrows (Bernalillo)
- 1868 — original chapel destroyed in the great flood
- 1869 — Old Historic Church built on higher ground and dedicated to San Ysidro
- 1929 — Old Church remodeled: facade towers added as buttresses, pitched roof installed
- 1961–1962 — new church on Corrales Road built by volunteers
- 1966 — San Ysidro becomes an active parish with a resident priest
Our Patron: Saint Isidore the Farmer (San Ysidro)
San Ysidro was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1070 and died on May 15, 1130. A hired hand, he is said to have prayed so faithfully that an angel was sent to do his field work, freeing him to pray more. He was canonized in 1622 and is honored as the patron saint of farmers, of the city of Madrid, and of the Village of Corrales. His wife, Maria Torribia, is also venerated as Santa Maria de la Cabeza.
- Born Madrid, 1070; died May 15, 1130
- Canonized 1622
- Patron saint of farmers, of Madrid, and of Corrales
- Married to Santa Maria de la Cabeza
- Parish fiesta held every year on a weekend near his May 15 feast day
Faith Formation
The parish Religious Education program nurtures faith from pre-K through high school. Elementary and middle-school classes meet Sunday mornings and Confirmation classes meet Sunday afternoons, following the Albuquerque Public Schools calendar. Sacramental preparation is offered for Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. The program is led by volunteer directors Giselle and Rafael Bango.
- Pre-K through high school
- Elementary & middle school: Sunday mornings
- Confirmation: Sunday afternoons
- Sacramental prep: Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Directors: Giselle & Rafael Bango (volunteers)
Adult Faith Formation (OCIA, Bible Study, Pre-Cana)
Adults can grow through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) on Sunday afternoons — described as a four-period spiritual journey rather than a simple 'conversion class' — and through pre-Cana marriage preparation that goes beyond wedding planning to build a foundation for a lifelong sacramental marriage. A 10-week Bible study, 'Eucharist: Discovering the Mass in the Bible,' is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and led by Deacon Ela in Hendren Hall on Tuesday evenings.
- OCIA classes — Sunday afternoons
- Pre-Cana marriage preparation — by arrangement
- Knights of Columbus-sponsored 10-week Bible study — Tuesdays 6:00–7:30 PM in Hendren Hall
- Course drawn from the Augustine Institute's Formed library
Parish Groups, Guilds, and Outreach
A network of parish groups meets regularly in the parish hall and Hendren Hall. The Legion of Mary meets Monday evenings, the Ladies Sodality on the 1st Tuesday, the Fiesta Committee on the 2nd Tuesday, the St. Vincent de Paul conference on the 2nd Thursday, and the Knights of Columbus on the 1st Thursday (with BINGO nights on the 3rd Saturday). The parish also runs a St. Vincent de Paul Mass and community breakfast on the 4th Thursday of each month.
- Legion of Mary — Mondays 6:30 PM
- Ladies Sodality — 1st Tuesday, 1:00 PM
- Fiesta Committee — 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 PM
- Knights of Columbus — 1st Thursday, 7:00 PM; BINGO 3rd Saturday, doors 5 PM
- St. Vincent de Paul — 2nd Thursday 6 PM; Mass & breakfast 4th Thursday
- Bible Study — Tuesdays 6:00–7:30 PM, Hendren Hall
San Ysidro Fiesta
The parish's signature community event is the San Ysidro Fiesta, held each year on a weekend near the May 15 feast day of Saint Isidore. Festivities typically begin Saturday evening with Knights of Columbus BINGO, food, and family fun, then move Sunday morning to the 1869 Old Historic Church for an outdoor Mass followed by a traditional procession carrying the statue of San Ysidro back to the current church on Corrales Road, led by the Matachines. The day continues with fiesta food, music, a Sweets-walk, arts and crafts vendors, a 50/50 raffle, and an online silent auction.
- Outdoor Mass at the 1869 Old Historic Church
- Procession led by the Matachines to the current church
- Fiesta food, music, Sweets-walk, arts & crafts
- 50/50 raffle and online silent auction
- Fundraising supports Fiesta expenses and parish ministries
Sacraments
San Ysidro prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled with Deacon Ela after paperwork is completed through the parish office. Marriages begin with a meeting with Father McGowan; pre-Cana formation is offered. First Communion and Confirmation are prepared within the Religious Education and OCIA programs. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons, and the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders are available on request.
- Baptism — appointment with Deacon Ela
- Confirmation — through Religious Education / OCIA
- Eucharist — Sunday, Saturday Vigil, Saturday morning, weekday Masses
- Confession — Saturdays 3:00–4:30 PM and by appointment
- Marriage — meeting with Father McGowan; pre-Cana provided
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
- Holy Orders — discernment and formation referrals
San Ysidro Camposanto (Cemetery)
The parish also oversees the historic San Ysidro Camposanto, located west of the Old San Ysidro Church on lands given to the church by the Gutierrez family in the 1860s. When the 1868 flood destroyed the original riverside cemetery, burials moved to higher ground; another 1904 flood swept away many graves at the earlier site, with recovered caskets reinterred in the eastern portion of the present cemetery. Members of the Gutierrez family managed the camposanto and its records for generations, until the arrival of a resident priest in 1961. The camposanto remains in continuous use today, with additional burials in the floor of the 1869 church across the street.
- Given to the church by the Gutierrez family in the 1860s
- Marked by Hispanic, French, and Italian surnames — reflecting Corrales' vineyard and orchard immigrants of the 1860s–1870s
- Cemetery caretaker: Mark Tafoya
- GPS: N35.23393, W106.61597; access from Old Church Road, 2.5 mi N of Alameda Blvd on Corrales Rd
Parish Staff
Day-to-day parish life is carried by a small team of clergy and lay staff, supported by volunteer Religious Education directors.
- Pastor — Rev. James M. McGowan
- Deacon — Bernard Ela
- Deacon (Retired) — Tom Burns
- Office Manager — Vanessa Carpenter / Briana Sutton-Sanchez
- Religious Education Directors (Volunteers) — Giselle & Rafael Bango
- Maintenance — Levi
- Cemetery Caretaker — Mark Tafoya
Stay Connected
Parishioners and visitors can keep up with events, the weekly bulletin, and the San Ysidro Fiesta announcements through the parish website and Instagram page. Weekend bulletins include the calendar of ministry meetings, Mass intentions, and times for Adoration and Confession.
- Website: sanysidroparishnm.org / sanysidroparish.org
- Instagram: @SanYsidro.Parish
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (505) 898-1779