About St. Anthony · Artesia, New Mexico
St. Anthony is a Roman Catholic parish serving the small southeastern New Mexico city of Artesia, within the Diocese of Las Cruces and its Roswell Vicariate. The parish was founded in 1905 as a mission — the first Mass was celebrated south of Artesia for just eight people — and was officially named St. Anthony of Padua, with a statue donated in the patron saint's honor. Today the parish celebrates Mass eight times per week, including a Saturday Vigil and two Sunday morning Masses, and offers daily weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Saturday confessions. It is a bilingual-rooted but English-primary parish rooted in more than a century of Franciscan, Conventual Franciscan, Jesuit, Picpus, and now Heralds-of-Good-News clergy who have served the Pecos Valley community.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Very Rev. Francis Lazer, H.G.N. (Vicar Forane, Roswell Vicariate)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Las Cruces
Why belong here
St. Anthony offers a remarkably full schedule for a small-town parish — Mass every day of the week, a Saturday Vigil, two Sunday morning Masses, Friday morning Eucharistic Adoration (a Holy Hour), a Tuesday Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Saturday confessions — so Catholics at any stage of life can find a time to worship. Rooted in Artesia since 1905 and currently shepherded by Very Rev. Francis Lazer, H.G.N., with Deacon Tony Torrez serving alongside him, the parish combines a century of Pecos Valley tradition with an active sacramental life, faith formation, and an open invitation to share time, talent, and treasure with the faith community.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Friday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM (Holy Hour, following the 7:00 AM Mass)
History of St. Anthony Parish
St. Anthony's was founded in 1905 with the first Mass celebrated south of Artesia for just eight people. The mission was officially named St. Anthony of Padua, with a statue of the patron donated in his honor. By 1907 the Stations of the Cross had been hung, a High Mass with choir was sung, and the first wedding was performed; by 1910 the Bishop of Tucson had presided over the parish's first Confirmation. The late-1920s oil boom brought enough growth that the mission took in Dayton and the church received a new roof, vestibule, vitrophanie windows, sidewalks, and 24 elm trees.
- 1905 — first Mass in Artesia; eight people present
- 1906 — first church building erected; mission officially named St. Anthony of Padua
- 1907 — Stations of the Cross hung; first High Mass with choir; first wedding
- 1910 — Bishop of Tucson celebrates first Confirmation at the parish
- Late 1920s — Dayton folded into the Artesia mission; new roof, vestibule, vitrophanie windows, sidewalks, 24 elm trees
- 1943 — Fr. Francis Geary becomes first resident pastor
- 1957–1966 — Fr. Richard Arlt expands the property to a full city block and adds sanctuary, sacristy, and 1962 parish hall
- 1987 — Franciscans hand administration to diocesan control; Jesuits assigned for the first time
- 2003 — current church building opens; old church converted into apartments on Missouri Street
Early Pastoral Care: Brown Franciscans (O.F.M.)
In its earliest decades the Artesia mission was served by Brown Franciscan priests who traveled in from Carlsbad and Roswell by train or motorcycle and usually slept in the back of the church. The Order of Merciful Christ (O.M.C.) provided the parish's first resident pastor in 1943, Fr. Francis Geary.
- Fr. Frederic Hartung, O.F.M.
- Fr. Fabian M. Kernan, O.M.C.
- Fr. Francis Geary, O.M.C. — first resident pastor (from 1943)
Conventual Franciscan Era (O.F.M. Conv.)
Conventual Franciscan friars led the parish through its mid-20th-century growth. Fr. Richard Arlt (1957–1966) consolidated the parish property to a full city block, lengthened the church with a sanctuary and sacristy, and championed the 1962 parish hall — calling it 'the road to a new church.' Fr. Charles Zengel served 13 years and is remembered for the Sunday-morning coffee-and-fellowship break, new pews, and more energy-efficient windows.
- Fr. Gabriel Eilers, O.F.M. Conv.
- Fr. Marcellus Lell, O.F.M. Conv.
- Fr. Richard J. Arlt, O.F.M. Conv. (1957–1966)
- Fr. Edward Collet, O.F.M. Conv.
- Fr. Jerome Bayer, O.F.M. Conv.
- Fr. Charles Zengel, O.F.M. Conv. — 13 years; instituted the Sunday coffee break
Picpus Fathers and the New Church (SS.CC.)
Shortly after the 2003 opening of the present church building, priests of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (the Picpus Fathers) took over administration of St. Anthony's. During their tenure, parishioners had the joy of watching Fr. Brian Guerrini grow spiritually and be ordained a priest, and of witnessing Tony Torrez complete the Diaconate in 2011 to serve the parish as deacon.
- Fr. Benedict Folger, SS.CC.
- Fr. Chris Santangelo, SS.CC.
- Fr. Paul Murtagh, SS.CC.
- Fr. Brian Guerrini, SS.CC. — ordained while serving at St. Anthony's
- Deacon Tony Torrez — ordained 2011
Devotions
Beyond Mass and Adoration, St. Anthony keeps a steady devotional life centered on the Divine Mercy devotion, prayed as a parish community each Tuesday evening after Mass.
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Tuesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM (following the 5:30 PM Mass)
Parish Ministries and Faith Formation
St. Anthony's active ministries include Eucharistic Adoration, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Catholic faith formation and Catechism classes (held in the parish office building), and a long-standing Knights of Columbus council whose Bingo fundraisers paid off the parish-hall debt and seeded the building fund that made the 2003 church possible. Parishioners have historically rallied around Bingo nights, bake sales, auctions, and an annual spaghetti dinner that fed about 1,500 Artesia residents for ten years.
- Eucharistic Adoration (Friday Holy Hour)
- Divine Mercy Chaplet (Tuesday)
- Catechism / Faith formation classes (parish office building)
- Knights of Columbus — major fundraiser for hall and new-church building fund
- Parish hall building committee (current)
Sacraments
The seven Catholic sacraments are celebrated through the parish office. In addition to the regular Mass, confession, and adoration schedule, parishioners can arrange baptisms, marriages, anointing of the sick, and Confirmation preparation by calling the parish office.
- Baptism — through the parish office
- Marriage — through the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — through the parish office
- Confirmation — through the parish office
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday 3:00–4:00 PM or by appointment
Visit and Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Anthony's. The current (2003) church sits at 502 S 9th Street between W Dallas Avenue and the surrounding city block; the older church building, now converted into apartments, can be found just northwest of the new church on Missouri Street. The parish office can be reached by phone at (575) 746-4471 and by email at [email protected]; the official website is stanthonyartesianm.org.
- Address — 502 S 9th St., Artesia, NM 88210
- Phone — (575) 746-4471
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — http://stanthonyartesianm.org
- Located at W Dallas Ave., between 9th and 10th Streets
Diocese and Vicariate
St. Anthony Catholic Church is part of the Diocese of Las Cruces, which covers southern New Mexico. Within the diocese the parish belongs to the Roswell Vicariate, whose Vicar Forane is the parish's own pastor, Very Rev. Francis Lazer, H.G.N.
- Diocese — Diocese of Las Cruces
- Vicariate — Roswell
- Vicar Forane — Very Rev. Francis Lazer, H.G.N.
- Nearby parishes — Our Lady of Grace, Artesia (~1.2 mi); Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, Lake Arthur (~11.4 mi); Immaculate Conception, Dexter; St. Edward, Carlsbad
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Frederic Hartung, O.F.M.
Franciscan
- Fr. Fabian M. Kernan, O.M.C.
Order of Merciful Christ
- Fr. Francis Geary, O.M.C.from 1943
First resident pastor of St. Anthony's
- Fr. Gabriel Eilers, O.F.M. Conv.
Conventual Franciscan
- Fr. Marcellus Lell, O.F.M. Conv.
Conventual Franciscan
- Fr. Richard J. Arlt, O.F.M. Conv.1957–1966
Consolidated parish property to a full city block; lengthened the church with a new sanctuary and sacristy; oversaw 1962 parish hall
- Fr. Edward Collet, O.F.M. Conv.
Conventual Franciscan
- Fr. Jerome Bayer, O.F.M. Conv.
Conventual Franciscan
- Fr. Charles Zengel, O.F.M. Conv.
13 years as pastor; instituted Sunday coffee break between Masses; new pews and more energy-efficient windows
- Fr. Jack Capelle, S.J.late 1980s–late 1990s
Jesuit; first Jesuits assigned after Franciscans relinquished administration in 1987
- Fr. Joseph Johnson, S.J.late 1980s–late 1990s
Jesuit, served back-to-back with Fr. Capelle
- Fr. Dennis Fountain
Diocesan clergy
- Fr. Benedict Folger, SS.CC.post-2003
First Picpus (Congregation of the Sacred Hearts) pastor after new church opened
- Fr. Chris Santangelo, SS.CC.
Picpus Fathers
- Fr. Paul Murtagh, SS.CC.
Picpus Fathers, served with Fr. Brian Guerrini
- Fr. Brian Guerrini, SS.CC.
Picpus Fathers; grew spiritually and was ordained to the priesthood while at St. Anthony's
- Fr. Martin Cornejo, O.F.M.
Franciscan; served the Pecos Valley with Fr. Francis Lazer
- Fr. Francis Lazer, H.G.N.present
Current pastor; Heralds of Good News; also Vicar Forane of the Roswell Vicariate (term 12/1/24–11/30/29)