About St. Charles Borromeo · Albuquerque, New Mexico
St. Charles Borromeo is a Roman Catholic parish in southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico, founded in 1934 as the first parish on the city's southeast side and the 'mother parish' of the entire east side. For more than 90 years it has served a multicultural community rooted in Italian, Hispanic, and Vietnamese heritage, and continues to be an educational, cultural, and spiritual anchor between the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College. The parish is home to St. Charles Catholic School and offers Mass in both English and Vietnamese, with regular confession and weekday adoration.
- Established
- 1934
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo is the historic 'mother parish' of Albuquerque's east side, with a 90-year tradition of welcoming families of Italian, Hispanic, and Vietnamese heritage into one Catholic community. Visitors and parishioners can take part in a full sacramental life here — Sunday Mass in English and a Saturday Vietnamese Mass, weekday Masses Monday through Saturday, Saturday confession, and Eucharistic Adoration Tuesday through Friday mornings. The parish also operates St. Charles Catholic School and sits at the crossroads of UNM and CNM, making it a natural spiritual home for southeast Albuquerque.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Friday: 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM (following evening Mass)
Our Story & Heritage
Established in 1934 as the first parish on the southeast side of Albuquerque, St. Charles was so central to city life on the east side that it became known as the 'mother parish' for that entire part of town. For more than 90 years it has gathered an Italian, Hispanic, and Vietnamese Catholic community in one place, and looks forward to continuing as an educational, cultural, and spiritual wellspring for New Mexico. The parish is geographically set between the UNM and CNM campuses on University Boulevard, seven blocks east of Interstate 25.
- Founded 1934 on Albuquerque's southeast side
- Mother parish of the east side
- Multicultural: Italian, Hispanic, Vietnamese
- Located on University Blvd between CNM and UNM
St. Charles Catholic School
The parish school has been an integral part of St. Charles since 1952. Conceived by Father John P. Hogan and approved by Archbishop Edwin V. Byrne, the school opened on February 25, 1952, staffed by the Presentation Sisters and welcomed 150 students in its first year, growing to 250 by September. A two-story addition for junior high was built in the 1950s, and in 1955 the parish broke ground on a gymnasium — soon shared with St. Pius X High School. The Ursuline Sisters took over the school in 1969. Over the decades the campus has been repeatedly renewed: kindergarten and library moved to the convent in 1988, part of the gym became a music room in 1999, the playground was fully renovated in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and in the summers of 2014 and 2015 the convent was remodeled to expand the preschool program.
- Opened February 25, 1952 with 150 students (K-5)
- Staffed originally by Presentation Sisters (arrived 1951)
- Ursuline Sisters took charge in 1969
- Gymnasium built 1955-56
- Preschool expanded through convent remodel, 2014-2015
Multicultural & Vietnamese Community
From its earliest decades St. Charles has been an Italian, Hispanic, and Vietnamese Catholic community in central New Mexico. That heritage is expressed liturgically in the weekly Saturday 7:00 PM Vietnamese Mass and in the parish's broader pastoral welcome to families of varied cultural roots — a tradition the parish describes as part of its identity for over 90 years.
- Weekly Saturday Vietnamese Mass at 7:00 PM
- Heritage communities: Italian, Hispanic, Vietnamese
- Recognized as a multicultural parish for over 90 years
Visit & Contact
The parish office can be reached by phone at (505) 242-3462 or by email at [email protected]. The mailing address is 1818 Coal Place SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Visitors are also encouraged to follow the parish on its official Facebook page for current announcements, Mass intentions, and event news.
- Address: 1818 Coal Pl SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
- Phone: (505) 242-3462
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stcharlesnm.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/StCharlesChurchABQ/