About St. Anthony Mission · Las Placitas, New Mexico
San Antonio Catholic Mission, also known as St. Anthony Mission, is a historic Catholic mission in the village of Placitas, New Mexico. Founded in 1840 and housed in a church building dating to 1919, it serves as a mission church of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in nearby Bernalillo, within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The mission offers a single Sunday Mass in a small, rural setting rooted in Hispano Catholic traditions and local land-grant history. Parishioners gather not only for worship but also in the adjacent San Antonio Mission Community Center, a former WPA-built school that now supports fellowship and parish life.
- Established
- 1840
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Reverend Clement Niggel
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
A close-knit rural mission where centuries-old New Mexican Catholic heritage, simple worship, and community gathering come together in the Sandia foothills.
Mass times at St. Anthony Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Mass or by appointment at the mission
- Monday 7:40 AM at Our Lady of Sorrows, Bernalillo
- Tuesday 7:40 AM at Our Lady of Sorrows, Bernalillo
- Wednesday 7:40 AM at Our Lady of Sorrows, Bernalillo
- Thursday 7:40 AM at Our Lady of Sorrows, Bernalillo
- Saturday 3:30 PM at Our Lady of Sorrows, Bernalillo
- Anytime by appointment
History and Heritage
San Antonio Mission reflects the deep Catholic roots of New Mexico's Hispano communities. Established in 1840 in the San Antonio de Las Huertas land grant, the mission has served generations of Placitas families. The present church was built in 1919, and the neighboring community center preserves a New Deal-era schoolhouse that now supports parish gatherings.
- Founded 1840
- Current building constructed 1919
- WPA-era school became community center
Worship and Sacraments
As a mission, San Antonio offers a single Sunday Mass. Sacramental ministry such as confession is provided at the mission by appointment or before Mass, with fuller confession opportunities available at the mother parish in Bernalillo.
- Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM
- Confession by appointment or before Mass
Community Life
The San Antonio Mission Community Center, converted from a former WPA school, is a hub for fellowship after Mass and parish events. It stands as a tangible link between the village's educational, architectural, and faith history.
- Community Center converted from WPA school
- Gathering space after Mass
- Connection to local land-grant history