About Santa Maria de Acoma · Mccartys, New Mexico
Santa Maria de Acoma is a Catholic mission church in the small unincorporated village of McCartys, New Mexico, part of Acoma Pueblo west of Albuquerque. It is one of eight mission churches of the Parish of St. Joseph in Laguna, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup. Built in 1933 in the Spanish Colonial mission style and set prominently on a hillside above Interstate 40 just east of Grants, it is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is the spiritual home of many Acoma Pueblo families who gather each year on the first Sunday of May for its patronal feast day, procession and Corn Dance.
- Established
- 1933
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (Santa Maria)
- Rector
- The mission is served from St. Joseph Parish in Laguna; Franciscan Father Wayne Gibbeaut, OFM, was long the pastor of the Acoma and Laguna mission churches, and a Conventual Franciscan pastor (Father Charles) was reported beginning in June 2021, with Father Sean Murnan filling in during Father Gibbeaut's sabbatical.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup
Why belong here
Santa Maria de Acoma offers a deeply rooted Catholic community at the heart of Acoma Pueblo, where centuries-old Keres tradition and Catholic faith are celebrated together rather than apart. Parishioners and visitors experience one of New Mexico's most striking Spanish Colonial-style churches, weekly Sunday Mass, and the annual Santa Maria feast day — a powerful gathering of Mass, procession to the four sacred directions, Corn Dance, blessing of the fields, and traditional foot races. For Acoma families and visitors alike, this mission is a place to live both faith and Pueblo culture side by side.
Mass times at Santa Maria de Acoma
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays, 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM (half an hour before Mass)
Parish Identity & Location
Santa Maria de Acoma is a Catholic mission church serving the Acoma Pueblo community of McCartys, an unincorporated village in western New Mexico. It sits within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup and is administered as one of eight mission churches from the Parish of St. Joseph in Laguna. The church building itself is a landmark visible from Interstate 40 east of Grants.
- Mission of the Pueblo of Acoma, McCartys, New Mexico
- Diocese of Gallup
- Supervised by the Parish of St. Joseph, 1 Friar Rd., Laguna, NM 87026
- Address: Main Road, McCartys, NM 87034
History of Santa Maria de Acoma
The mission descends from the centuries-old Franciscan presence at Acoma Pueblo, whose mother church of San Esteban del Rey was built on the mesa between 1629 and 1641 and is regarded as the oldest continuous parish in the Diocese of Gallup. As Acoma families migrated to the lower villages of Acomita and McCartys in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Franciscan missionaries established new churches to serve them. The current stone church at McCartys was constructed in 1933 under the direction of Father Agnellus Lammert, OFM, and dedicated by Archbishop Gerken of Santa Fe. A parish hall followed in 1969 under Father Conran Runnebaum, OFM, and in 1966 Acoma was re-established as a canonical parish.
- 1933 — Church constructed under Father Agnellus Lammert, OFM
- November 28, 1933 — Dedicated by Archbishop Gerken of Santa Fe
- Funded by the Marquette League for Catholic Indian Missions of New York City; gift of Mrs. Alfred J. Talley
- 1966 — Acoma re-established as a canonical parish
- 1969 — Parish hall built under Father Conran Runnebaum, OFM
Patron & Feast Day
The patroness of the mission is the Blessed Virgin Mary, honored under the title Santa Maria. Her feast day is celebrated annually on the first Sunday of May and is one of the most important gatherings of the Acoma community. The day brings together Catholic Mass and traditional Pueblo ceremony in a single celebration of faith and culture.
- Patron: The Blessed Virgin Mary (Santa Maria)
- Feast day: First Sunday of May
- Mass typically at 8:00 AM
- Procession of the Virgin Mary statue to the four sacred directions
- Corn Dance, blessing of the fields, and traditional foot races
Architecture & Setting
Santa Maria de Acoma is built in the Spanish Colonial mission style that characterizes the historic Spanish missions of 18th- and 19th-century New Mexico. Its simple stone massing, twin square towers, and flat roof are set high on a hillside above the village, making the church a landmark visible to travelers on Interstate 40. The interior carries the traditional feel of the old missions, with adobe-style walls and carved wooden beams.
- Spanish Colonial / Mission style
- Stone construction with two square towers and flat roof
- Carved wooden beams and adobe-style interior walls
- Parish hall added 1969
- Prominently visible on the hillside above I-40 east of Grants
Clergy & Pastoral Care
Because McCartys is a mission rather than a resident parish, sacramental care is provided by priests based at the supervising Parish of St. Joseph in Laguna. Franciscan Father Wayne Gibbeaut, OFM, has been the long-standing pastor of the Acoma and Laguna mission churches, with Father Sean Murnan filling in during a sabbatical. A Conventual Franciscan (Father Charles) was reported as beginning as pastor in June 2021, marking the first Conventual Franciscan pastor of Laguna and Acoma.
- Father Wayne Gibbeaut, OFM — pastor of Laguna/Acoma mission churches
- Father Sean Murnan — fill-in during Fr. Gibbeaut's sabbatical
- Father Charles, OFM Conv. — began as pastor June 2021 (first Conventual Franciscan pastor)
- Father Agnellus Lammert, OFM — builder of the 1933 church
- Father Conran Runnebaum, OFM — oversaw 1969 parish hall
Cultural & Liturgical Life
Santa Maria de Acoma is distinctive among New Mexico missions for the way Catholic ritual and Pueblo tradition are woven together. The feast day blends Catholic Mass with Keres-language blessings, Native chants, a procession to the four sacred directions, the traditional Corn Dance, a blessing of the fields, and foot races. Parishioners describe the culture and faith as 'one,' and the church is celebrated as a place where the Acoma people express their Catholic identity alongside their Pueblo heritage.
- Keres-language blessings and chants
- Procession of the Virgin Mary to the four sacred directions
- Corn Dance
- Blessing of the fields
- Traditional foot races
- Active participation of Acoma tribal government (governor and lieutenant governor)
Visiting Santa Maria de Acoma
Visitors are warmly welcomed. The church is easy to find from Interstate 40: heading east out of Grants, the church rises on the hillside to the south, and the McCartys exit onto Main Road brings travelers directly to the village. Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM is the regular weekly gathering, and the first Sunday of May is the highlight of the year.
- Visible from I-40 east of Grants, on the hillside south of the highway
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Annual feast day: first Sunday of May
- Contact: Parish of St. Joseph, 1 Friar Rd., Laguna, NM 87026
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Agnellus Lammert, OFMearly 1930s
Constructed the church of Santa Maria de Acoma; it was dedicated November 28, 1933 by Archbishop Gerken of Santa Fe.
- Father Conran Runnebaum, OFM1960s
Directed construction of the parish hall in 1969.
- Father Wayne Gibbeaut, OFMthrough at least 2016
Pastor of the combined Acoma and Laguna mission churches; reported as pastor in 2016 Voice of the Southwest coverage.