About Santuario de San Martin de Porres · Albuquerque, New Mexico
Santuario de San Martin de Porres is a Roman Catholic parish and shrine located in southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The parish was established in 1979 on Albuquerque's West Side and serves a predominantly bilingual community, with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish. On October 30, 2015, Archbishop John C. Wester and Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan formally dedicated the parish's newly built church at 8321 Camino San Martin SW, elevating it to the status of a Santuario (shrine). It is dedicated to St. Martin de Porres, the Dominican lay brother from Lima, Peru, who is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, and public health workers. The parish offers eight weekly Masses, regular Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and was designated one of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe's Jubilee Churches during the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
- Established
- 1979
- Patron
- St. Martin de Porres
- Rector
- Fr. Jerome Plotkowski, JCL
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
The Santuario de San Martin de Porres is one of the few parishes in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe formally designated as a shrine, and it stands as a devotional center for St. Martin de Porres on Albuquerque's West Side. It offers something distinctive for Catholics in the city: a deeply bilingual worship life (English and Spanish at nearly every Mass), eight Masses a week including a Saturday Vigil in English and Spanish, Eucharistic Adoration three times a week (with special emphasis on First and Third Fridays, including Anointing of the Sick), and a parish community rooted in a working-class, family-oriented West Side neighborhood. Its recognition as a Jubilee Church in 2016 reflects its role as a place of pilgrimage and mercy within the wider archdiocese.
Mass times at Santuario de San Martin de Porres
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM (English/Spanish) (not heard on Holy Saturday)
- Saturday: 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM (per parish's published schedule on Catholic Mass Time)
Adoration times
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (in the chapel)
- First Friday: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Anointing of the Sick at 9:30 AM)
- Third Friday: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Third Wednesday: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (per Catholic Mass Time listing)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Santuario runs a bilingual Religious Education program for children, directed separately for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking families. The English-language program is led by Daren Brown and the Spanish-language program is led by Lourdes Morachiz. Together they coordinate sacramental preparation for First Communion, Confirmation, and ongoing catechesis for parish youth.
- Director of Religious Education (English): Daren Brown
- Director of Religious Education (Spanish): Lourdes Morachiz
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Children's ministry integrated into parish life
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptisms, Confirmations, and Marriages are scheduled through the parish office and require the customary preparation programs of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The Anointing of the Sick is celebrated communally during the First Friday Eucharistic Adoration at 9:30 AM and may also be requested for the homebound or hospitalized by calling the parish office.
- Baptism (Bautismo)
- Confirmation
- First Holy Communion / Eucharist
- Marriage (Matrimonio)
- Anointing of the Sick (Unción de los Enfermos) — First Fridays at 9:30 AM and by appointment
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturdays 2:00–3:15 PM
Parish Staff & Clergy
The Santuario is led by its pastor and supported by three permanent deacons and a team of lay staff who direct religious education, finances, and facilities. The bilingual character of parish life is reflected in the staff structure, with separate directors of Religious Education for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking families.
- Pastor: Fr. Jerome Plotkowski, JCL
- Deacon Ken Trujillo
- Deacon Crescencio Salinas
- Deacon Oscar Marquez
- Bookkeeper: Gretchen Anaya
- Director of Religious Education (Spanish): Lourdes Morachiz
- Director of Religious Education (English): Daren Brown
- Maintenance: Gilbert Martinez
History & Shrine Dedication
Founded in 1979 to serve the Hispanic Catholic community of Albuquerque's West Side, San Martin de Porres Parish grew steadily over the following decades. After years of planning and fundraising, the parish completed its new church building, which was formally dedicated on October 30, 2015 by Archbishop John C. Wester together with Archbishop Emeritus Michael J. Sheehan. With the dedication, the parish took on the title Santuario (shrine) and was recognized by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe as a place of pilgrimage and devotion to St. Martin de Porres. In 2016, the Santuario was named one of the official Jubilee Churches for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
- Established 1979 on Albuquerque's West Side
- Current church dedicated October 30, 2015 by Archbishop Wester and Archbishop Emeritus Sheehan
- Designated a Jubilee Church for the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Patron: St. Martin de Porres
The Santuario is named in honor of St. Martin de Porres (1579–1639), a Dominican lay brother born in Lima, Peru. The son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed woman of African and indigenous descent, Martin entered the Dominican convent of Santo Domingo as a servant boy and was later admitted as a lay brother, becoming renowned for his humility, his care for the sick and the poor, and his miraculous healings. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, and public health workers. His feast day is celebrated on November 3, and he was canonized by Pope Gregory XVI in 1837.
- Born in Lima, Peru in 1579; died in 1639
- Dominican lay brother known for humility and care of the sick and poor
- Patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, and public health workers
- Feast day: November 3
Visiting & Pilgrimage
As an official shrine of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and a former Jubilee Church, the Santuario welcomes visitors and pilgrims throughout the year. Its location on the West Side of Albuquerque — close to Unser Boulevard and Gibson Boulevard — makes it easy to reach for visitors from across the city and from neighboring communities on the West Mesa and in the South Valley.
- Address: 8321 Camino San Martin SW, Albuquerque, NM 87121
- From Unser Boulevard, head south to Gibson Boulevard, then west, then north onto Camino San Martin SW
- Jubilee Church for the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jerome Plotkowski, JCL
Current pastor, listed on parish staff roster on the official website and Catholic Church Directory.