About St. Anthony Mission · Torreon, New Mexico
St. Anthony Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church in the village of Torreon, Torrance County, New Mexico, set on NM-55 about 19 miles northwest of Mountainair. It is one of five mission communities served by St. Alice Catholic Church in Mountainair, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Worship is celebrated bilingually across the cluster, with Mass at the mission on Wednesdays and on alternating Sunday/Saturday slots that rotate with the other mission chapels (San Lorenzo in Abo, St. Vincent de Paul in Punta de Agua, Our Lady of Sorrows in Willard, and Nuestra Señora de Dolores in Manzano). The mission serves a rural, traditional faith community in the heart of New Mexico's Manzano Mountains region, supported by a pastor and parish staff based in Mountainair.
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Jordan Sánchez
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
St. Anthony Mission is a tight-knit rural Catholic community that gathers for weekday and weekend Mass in the historic village of Torreon, tucked into the Manzano Mountains. As a mission of St. Alice in Mountainair, it shares in a wider pastoral family that includes faith formation, sacramental preparation, and a tradition of giving back — for example, La Sociedad de San Jose in Torreon awards two $300 scholarships each year to graduating seniors of the parish. Confessions are heard before every Mass, and the pastor is reachable for any emergency sacramental need, making it an accessible spiritual home for a small but devoted flock.
Mass times at St. Anthony Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before every Holy Mass
- By appointment
- Wed 9:40–9:50 AM (per third-party schedule; please confirm with parish)
St. Anthony Mission — Torreon, New Mexico
St. Anthony Mission is a small Catholic mission church in the village of Torreon in Torrance County, central New Mexico, set along NM-55 in the Manzano Mountains region of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. As a mission of St. Alice Catholic Church in Mountainair, St. Anthony is part of a five-mission pastoral cluster that also includes San Lorenzo (Abo), St. Vincent de Paul (Punta de Agua), Our Lady of Sorrows (Willard), and Nuestra Señora de Dolores (Manzano). The mission is supported by a pastor and parish staff based in Mountainair who travel to each chapel on a rotating weekly schedule.
- Type: Mission church (Roman Rite, Latin)
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe
- Mother parish: St. Alice Catholic Church, Mountainair
- Cluster missions: Abo, Punta de Agua, Willard, Manzano
Parish Staff and Clergy
The mission and its sister chapels are served by a small, dedicated staff based at the parish office in Mountainair. The pastor is the Reverend Father Jordan Sánchez, who is reachable at [email protected] and through the parish office for any needs. The parish secretary is Lugie Garcia, Charles O'Donnell chairs the Finance Council, and Lindsey Benjamin serves as Director of Religious Education. The Archdiocese's Priestly Discernment Program has assigned seminarian Morgan Bleth to the parish to shadow the pastor while discerning a vocation.
- Rev. Fr. Jordan Sánchez — Pastor ([email protected])
- Lugie Garcia — Secretary
- Charles O'Donnell — Finance Council Chair
- Lindsey Benjamin — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Morgan Bleth — Discernment seminarian assigned to the parish
The Mission Cluster — St. Alice and Five Mission Chapels
St. Anthony does not stand alone. Together with the mother parish of St. Alice in Mountainair, it forms a pastoral family that serves five surrounding mission communities. This cluster model is common in rural New Mexico and means Mass times, confessions, faith formation, and sacramental preparation are coordinated across all six worship sites.
- St. Alice Catholic Church, Mountainair (mother parish, 9:00 AM Sunday)
- San Lorenzo, Abo (Tuesday evening, alternating with Punta de Agua, 5:00 PM)
- St. Vincent de Paul, Punta de Agua (Tuesday evening, alternating with Abo)
- Our Lady of Sorrows, Willard (Saturday 4:00 PM anticipatory; Thursday 10:00 AM weekday)
- Nuestra Señora de Dolores, Manzano (Friday 10:00 AM; alternating Sunday 11:00 AM)
- St. Anthony, Torreon (Wednesday 10:00 AM weekday; alternating Sunday 11:00 AM)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education for the parish family — including children and youth preparing for the sacraments at St. Anthony Mission and the other mission chapels — is coordinated through the parish office in Mountainair. Lindsey Benjamin serves as Director of Religious Education and can be reached at [email protected]. Families are encouraged to contact the parish office to register children and teens for ongoing catechesis and sacramental preparation.
- Director of Religious Education: Lindsey Benjamin ([email protected])
- Sacramental preparation coordinated through the parish office
- Catechism classes offered at the parish (see parish office for current schedule)
La Sociedad de San Jose — Torreon Scholarship
La Sociedad de San Jose, a Catholic society based in Torreon, awards two $300 scholarships each year to eligible applicants who are graduating high school seniors and members of St. Alice Parish. The deadline for submissions is May 15. Interested students and families should contact Norbert Chavez through the parish office for an application.
- Two $300 scholarships awarded annually
- Eligibility: graduating seniors who are members of St. Alice Parish
- Application deadline: May 15
- Contact: Norbert Chavez (via parish office)
Sacraments and Pastoral Care
The sacraments — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick — are coordinated through the parish office at St. Alice in Mountainair. Because the mission communities are spread across Torrance County, the parish maintains an emergency sacramental line (505-226-2786) so a priest can be reached quickly for urgent pastoral needs such as last rites or sudden illness.
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing — contact parish office to schedule
- Emergency Sacramental Need line: 505-226-2786
- Confessions heard before every Mass and by appointment
Contact, Office, and Directions
St. Anthony Mission is physically located at 4 Church Rd., Torreon, NM 87061, right behind the Torreon Post Office at 8563 NM-55, about 19 miles northwest of Mountainair. The parish office — which administers all six worship sites — is at 301 South Roosevelt Ave., P.O. Box 206, Mountainair, NM 87036. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with a brief closure from 1:00 to 1:30 PM for lunch.
- Mission address: 4 Church Rd., Torreon, NM 87061
- Parish office: 301 South Roosevelt Ave., P.O. Box 206, Mountainair, NM 87036
- Phone: (505) 847-2291
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu, 9 AM–3 PM (closed 1:00–1:30 PM)
- Website: http://www.stalicenm.com/
Devotions and Special Observances
The cluster observes a few devotional traditions together, particularly around First Friday and First Saturday, helping the mission communities stay connected to wider Church practices. The First Saturday Rosary at 8:30 AM followed by Mass at 9:00 AM at St. Alice in Mountainair is one such shared devotion.
- First Saturday — Rosary 8:30 AM, Holy Mass 9:00 AM (St. Alice, Mountainair)
- First Friday — Holy Mass 9:00 AM at St. Alice (regular Friday Mass 10:00 AM at Manzano)
- Rosary before weekend Masses as scheduled
Visiting and Joining the Parish
Visitors and new parishioners are warmly welcomed at St. Anthony Mission. Because the Mass schedule rotates across the five mission chapels, newcomers are encouraged to check the parish website's calendar page or call the parish office to confirm the next Mass at Torreon. Families wishing to register with the parish, schedule a baptism or wedding, or enroll a child in religious education can do so by contacting the parish office during its Monday–Thursday hours.
- Welcoming small rural community rooted in New Mexico Catholic tradition
- Confirm Mass times via the website calendar or call the parish office
- Register as a parishioner through the Mountainair parish office
- Enroll children in faith formation via the DRE ([email protected])