Santo Toribio Mission

About Santo Toribio Mission

Santo Toribio is the Catholic mission church serving the village of Ponderosa in the Jemez Valley of New Mexico. It is a mission — not an independent parish — of San Diego Mission at Jemez Pueblo, and is one of five such mission churches (with Our Lady of Guadalupe in Cañon, San Ysidro, Santa Ana Pueblo, and Zia Pueblo) served by the pastor and community of San Diego. The church belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe and shares San Diego Mission's mailing address (P.O. Box 79, Jemez Pueblo, NM 87024) and phone line.

Patron Saint: Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo

The mission is named for Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo), born in Mayorga, Spain in 1538 and the second Archbishop of Lima, Peru from 1579 until his death on March 23, 1606. A famed missionary bishop who produced a trilingual catechism for evangelization in Latin America, he was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. Pope St. John Paul II named him patron of the Latin American episcopate in 1983, and he is also patron of Peru, native peoples' rights, and the scouting movement. His feast day is March 23.

• Born: Mayorga, Spain, November 16, 1538
• Died: Zaña, Peru, March 23, 1606
• Canonized: December 10, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII
• Feast day: March 23
• Patronage: Latin American bishops, Peru, native peoples' rights

History of Ponderosa and the Church

Ponderosa sits on what was historically known as Vallecitos — a settlement divided into Upper and Lower Vallecitos along the Rio Vallecitos — established in 1768 under the Ojo de San José Land Grant given to Paulín Montoya and five other families. Spanish colonial records from 1776 referred to the lower settlement as 'Santo Toribio del Vallecito,' indicating that devotion to Saint Turibius in this valley is at least 250 years old. The village adopted the name 'Ponderosa' only when seeking a post office, because 'Vallecitos' was already in use elsewhere in New Mexico.

• 1768: Ojo de San José Land Grant established; Upper and Lower Vallecitos settled along Rio Vallecitos
• 1776: 'Santo Toribio del Vallecito' appears in Spanish colonial records
• Post office era: Village renamed Ponderosa
• Current church building constructed 1950

Connection to San Diego Mission, Jemez Pueblo

Santo Toribio is one of five mission churches that radiate out from San Diego Mission at Jemez Pueblo. The San Diego Mission itself traces its roots to 1598, when Franciscans of the Santo Evangelico Province founded both San José de Giusewa (Jemez Springs) and San Diego de la Concepción at Jemez Pueblo. After long colonial interruptions, Franciscan ministry was renewed in 1902 under Archbishop Bourgade; Santa Fe archdiocesan priests administered the parish from 1902 to 1985, and since 1985 the Franciscans of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province (St. Michaels, Arizona) have once again served it. From this headquarters the friars historically oversaw mission stations across more than 3,000 square miles — including the chapel at Ponderosa.

• 1598: Franciscans found San Diego de la Concepción Mission at Jemez Pueblo
• 1902: Franciscan ministry renewed; mission network of 13 stations
• 1902–1985: Santa Fe archdiocesan priests administer San Diego Mission
• 1985–present: Franciscans of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province (St. Michaels, AZ)
• Five active missions today: San Diego (parish), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Cañon), Santo Toribio (Ponderosa), San Ysidro, Santa Ana Pueblo, plus Our Lady of the Assumption (Zia Pueblo)

Clergy and Pastoral Leadership

Santo Toribio is pastored together with San Diego Mission in Jemez Pueblo and its four other mission churches. Following clergy assignments issued by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 2025, Father June Ramos was appointed pastor of San Diego Mission effective July 1, 2025, succeeding Father Jason Pettigrew (who was reassigned as pastor of St. Anthony in Questa on July 28, 2025). Both priests serve the broader Jemez Valley mission cluster that includes Santo Toribio at Ponderosa.

• Current pastor: Rev. June Ramos (appointed July 1, 2025)
• Predecessor: Rev. Jason Pettigrew (reassigned July 28, 2025)

Getting to Santo Toribio

Santo Toribio sits along NM Highway 290 in the village of Ponderosa, north of Jemez Pueblo in the Jemez Mountains. From Jemez Pueblo, travelers head north on NM-4, turn right (east-northeast) onto NM-290 toward Ponderosa, and find the church on the right-hand side shortly before Petaca Road. Parking is at the church itself in this small rural village.

• Address: NM Hwy 290, Ponderosa, NM 87044
• Parish mailing: P.O. Box 79, Jemez Pueblo, NM 87024 (shared with San Diego Mission)
• Phone: (575) 834-7300