About St. Anthony of Padua · Fort Sumner, New Mexico
St. Anthony of Padua is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural community of Fort Sumner in De Baca County, eastern New Mexico. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe and, together with St. Mary of Vaughn and its missions, is currently pastored by Rev. Jacob Romero (appointed November 13, 2024). The parish was established in 1958 and gathers for Sunday and weekly Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation — with a notable Spanish-language Mass on Monday evenings, reflecting the bilingual make-up of the surrounding ranching and farming community.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Jacob Romero
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua offers a faithful, intimate Catholic life in the heart of eastern New Mexico. The parish provides weekly Sunday Mass, a Spanish-language weekday Mass, daily Eucharistic Adoration several mornings a week, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation before every Mass. Clustered with St. Rose of Lima in Santa Rosa and its missions under the current pastor, parishioners share in a close-knit missionary community rooted in the ranching and small-town heritage of the Pecos Valley.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before all Masses (Sunday included)
Adoration times
- Tuesday–Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.
- First Thursday: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Parish Identity & Patron
The parish takes its name and spiritual identity from St. Anthony of Padua (1195–1231), the Franciscan friar, preacher, and Doctor of the Church famous for his Gospel preaching in northern Italy and southern France and his reputation as a miracle-worker. His feast day, June 13, is celebrated with particular devotion at the Fort Sumner parish, including a 2022 homily preached by Fr. Bernabe titled 'St Anthony and the Lilies.' The parish was formally established in 1958 under the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
- Patron: St. Anthony of Padua
- Feast Day: June 13
- Parish founded: 1958
- Diocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. Anthony of Padua is currently pastored by Rev. Jacob Romero, who was appointed on November 13, 2024, while also serving St. Rose of Lima in Santa Rosa and its missions. The parish has historically been led by priests shared with neighboring mission parishes in the eastern New Mexico portion of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
- Rev. Jacob Romero — current pastor (appointed Nov. 13, 2024)
- Rev. Christopher Bernabe — pastor 2015–2023
- Rev. Paul Nkumbi — pastor until 2015
- Rev. Sotero Sena — pastor (2019 directory); assisted by Deacon Edward Sena
Bilingual & Hispanic Ministry
Reflecting the demographics of rural eastern New Mexico, the parish offers a Spanish-language Mass on Monday evenings at 5:30 p.m. Homilies from the Bernabe era were regularly posted with Spanish translations on the NM Catholic Hub archive, ensuring that Spanish-speaking parishioners could follow the preaching of their pastor.
- Monday evening Mass celebrated in Spanish
- Homily translations provided for many Fort Sumner homilies
Clustered Parishes & Mission Character
Because of the small population spread across the plains of De Baca and Guadalupe counties, St. Anthony of Padua has long been served together with neighboring mission parishes. From 2015 to 2023 it was clustered with St. Mary in Vaughn, and in 2024 it was grouped with St. Rose of Lima in Santa Rosa and its missions under Rev. Jacob Romero. This missionary arrangement reflects the broader pastoral strategy of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for rural eastern New Mexico.
- Sister-parish: St. Mary, Vaughn
- Current cluster: St. Rose of Lima, Santa Rosa, and its missions
- Pastoral model: shared-shepherding across rural parishes
Sacraments & Sacramental Life
In addition to Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, and Reconciliation before every liturgy, the parish celebrates First Communion, and arranges Baptisms, Marriages, and the Anointing of the Sick through the parish office. First Communion was a notable celebration at Corpus Christi 2023 under Fr. Bernabe's pastorship.
- Reconciliation: 30 minutes before every Mass
- Eucharistic Adoration: Tue–Fri mornings; First Thursday afternoons
- First Communion, Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick: by arrangement
Visit, Contact & Location
The parish is located at 443 Richard Avenue in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in the heart of De Baca County. Visitors can reach the church via U.S. 84, turning onto Richard Avenue. The parish office can be reached at (575) 355-2320, and the parish email is [email protected]. The mailing address is PO Box 370, Fort Sumner, NM 88119.
- Address: 443 Richard Ave., Fort Sumner, NM 88119
- Mailing: PO Box 370, Fort Sumner, NM 88119
- Phone: (575) 355-2320
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: nmcatholichub.com/stanthony/index.html
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jacob Romero2024–present
Appointed pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, Fort Sumner, and St. Rose of Lima, Santa Rosa, and its missions, effective November 13, 2024.
- Rev. Christopher Bernabe2015–2023
Appointed pastor of the Fort Sumner/Vaughn cluster in June 2015, succeeding Rev. Paul Nkumbi. Gave farewell homily on June 18, 2023; later assigned parochial vicar at Queen of Heaven, Albuquerque (Dec. 2024).
- Rev. Paul Nkumbiuntil 2015
Returned to his home diocese of Kiyinda Mityana, Uganda, in 2015.
- Rev. Sotero Sena2019 directory
Listed as pastor in the 2019 Archdiocese of Santa Fe parish directory, with Deacon Edward Sena assisting.