About St. Augustine Parish -Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha · Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico
St. Augustine Parish is a Roman Catholic parish and the historic mission church of the Pueblo of Isleta, a sovereign Tiwa (Southern Tiwa) community located about 15 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the Rio Grande valley. The parish is also home to the Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint. It is a parish of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, identified by GCatholic as a designated Jubilee Church for Holy Year 2025, and is led pastorally by Fr. Milton Thomas. The community identifies itself in its mission statement as Native people rooted in traditional values, grounded in the Gospel, and centered on the Eucharist.
- Established
- 1613
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo (parish); St. Kateri Tekakwitha (shrine)
- Rector
- Fr. Milton Thomas
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
St. Augustine is a small, mission-rooted Catholic parish where Tiwa Catholic life and centuries-old pueblo traditions come together around the Eucharist. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a tight-knit Native community that celebrates Sunday Mass, offers First Friday devotions, and runs religious education and RCIA for adults. As a designated Jubilee Church for 2025 and the only Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha in New Mexico, it is a place of both local devotion and wider pilgrimage.
Mass times at St. Augustine Parish -Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (and by appointment)
Parish Mission & Identity
The parish publishes a clear mission statement on both its website and the Pueblo of Isleta's official site: 'We the people of St. Augustine Parish in Isleta Pueblo are a people rooted in our traditional faith and values, and grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are Native people led by the Holy Spirit and are centered on the height of our faith, the Eucharist. We continue the task of Jesus by being a true minister of His church.' The parish is identified as a Parish of the Roman Catholic Church within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is co-designated as the Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
History of the Mission
Catholic life at Isleta began in 1613 when Franciscan missionaries oversaw construction of a church and convento dedicated to San Antonio de Padua. Franciscan Juan de Salas is credited as the architect, completing the convent around 1629–1630. By 1630 the mission was a thriving outpost in a Tewa province of some 7,000 souls. After the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, surviving Isletans fled south to found Ysleta del Sur in Texas; when Diego de Vargas reconquered the area in 1692, the original nave walls were found standing. The church and adjoining convento were rebuilt in 1709–1710 and renamed San Agustín. The mission continued under Spanish, then Mexican rule, and was eventually absorbed into the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
- 1613 — Mission San Antonio de la Isleta founded by Franciscans
- 1622 — Fr. Juan de Salas arrives with Benavides; convent built c. 1629–1630
- 1680 — Pueblo Revolt; Isletans flee to El Paso region
- 1692 — Diego de Vargas reconquers; original nave walls still standing
- 1709–1710 — Church and convento rebuilt and renamed San Agustín
- 1891–1925 — Fr. Antonine Docher ('The Padre of Isleta') serves 34 years
- 1923 — Docher remodeling adds Gothic spires and tin roof
- 1959–1960 — Archdiocese restoration removes Docher's spires, returns to colonial character
The Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha
In addition to serving as St. Augustine Parish, the church is officially recognized as a Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks — a 17th-century Mohawk-Algonquin woman (1656–1680) canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 as the first Native American saint. GCatholic lists the church as a Shrine and as a designated Jubilee Church for Holy Year 2025. Devotions to St. Kateri hold particular resonance here because of the parish's own Indigenous Catholic identity in the Pueblo of Isleta.
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680), first Native American saint
- Feast day: July 14
- Designated Jubilee Church for Holy Year 2025
Staff & Parish Leadership
The parish is led by its pastor with a team of lay leaders, catechists, and musicians named on the Pueblo of Isleta's parish page. The Pastoral and Finance Councils, the Director of Religious Education, the RCIA director, and the Choir Director all serve alongside the priest in running parish life.
- Pastor: Fr. Milton Thomas
- Pastoral Council President: Ernest C. Jaramillo
- Finance Council President: Tony Jaramillo
- Director of Religious Education: Margaret Zuni
- Director of Christian Initiation (RCIA): Shirley Zuni
- Choir Director: Grace Jojola
Parish Ministries & Formation
St. Augustine maintains the core Catholic formation ministries expected of a parish: ongoing religious education for children and youth under Director Margaret Zuni, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or full communion with the Catholic Church, directed by Shirley Zuni. Liturgical music is led by Choir Director Grace Jojola. Lay governance is exercised through the active Pastoral and Finance Councils, with parishioners serving as council presidents.
- Religious Education (catechesis for children and youth)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Parish Choir (English-language liturgical music)
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
Sacraments
Baptism, Marriage, and the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) are coordinated through the Parish Office at (505) 869-3398. The Saturday 3:30 PM confession time, immediately before the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass, is the regular weekly window, with additional times available by appointment. The parish celebrates the Eucharist as the 'height of our faith' on Sundays, Wednesdays, First Fridays, and Saturday Vigil.
- Baptism — call Parish Office
- Marriage — call Parish Office
- Penance — Saturday 3:30 PM and by appointment
- Eucharist — Sunday, Saturday Vigil, Wednesday, First Friday
Contact & Office Information
Parish Office: #3 Tribal Road 32, Isleta, NM 87022 (please use the East side entrance). Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM; the office is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Phone: (505) 869-3398. Fax: (505) 869-2447. Mailing address: PO Box 849, Isleta, NM 87022. The church itself is at 71 Tribal Road 35, Isleta, NM 87022, and is open during Mass and by appointment.
- Parish Office: #3 Tribal Road 32 (East side entrance)
- Phone: (505) 869-3398
- Fax: (505) 869-2447
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00 AM–3:00 PM; closed Sat/Sun
- Mailing: PO Box 849, Isleta, NM 87022
- Church: 71 Tribal Road 35, Isleta, NM 87022
Visiting the Pueblo & Church
The parish's Visit page welcomes the public to attend Sunday liturgies and the public feast days of the Pueblo, while asking visitors to be mindful that the church sits within a sovereign nation with its own unique history, traditions, and culture. The Pueblo of Isleta is about 15 miles south of Albuquerque in the Rio Grande valley, accessible off I-25. Visitors are encouraged to check the parish website and Facebook page for updates on parish and pueblo events and visiting guidelines. Sunday celebrations and other liturgies are viewable on the parish's Facebook page.
- Public invited to Sunday liturgies and Pueblo feast days
- Visitors asked to respect Pueblo sovereignty, traditions, and culture
- Located about 15 miles south of Albuquerque off I-25
- Sunday liturgies and other events viewable on the parish Facebook page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Antonine (Anton) Docher1891–1925
Known as 'The Padre of Isleta.' Served 34 years. In 1923 led a major remodeling adding Gothic spires and a tin roof; buried inside the church near the altar.