St. Joseph

Welcome to St. Joseph Parish, Laguna

St. Joseph Parish (San José de la Laguna) is the Catholic mission church of the Pueblo of Laguna in west-central New Mexico. Located in Old Laguna about 40 miles west of Albuquerque, the parish is the historic 'mother church' of the Laguna people and the hub of Catholic life across the six villages of Laguna Pueblo and the neighboring Acoma communities. The Diocese of Gallup lists it as a parish serving eight mission churches in the area.

History of San José de la Laguna

The mission was formally established on July 4, 1699, when the newly gathered Pueblo of Laguna took the oath of allegiance to Spain and received its Spanish name from Governor Pedro Rodriguez de Cuburo. Soon after, Friar Antonio de Miranda, O.F.M., arrived and the Laguna Indians built the present stone-and-adobe church before the end of the 17th century — making it one of the last of the early New Mexico missions and the best preserved of them in its original condition. Originally under the Bishop of Durango, the mission passed to the Diocese of Santa Fe in 1850 and to the Diocese of Gallup when that diocese was created; it was extensively rehabilitated in 1932 and is part of the Pueblo of Laguna Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

• 1699 — Pueblo formally founded; mission established July 4
• 1699–1701 — Church built under Fr. Antonio de Miranda, O.F.M.
• Late 1870s — Church briefly used as a stable during internal religious conflict; restored by the Catholic faction
• 1932 — Extensive rehabilitation; interior white-washed and repainted
• 1973 — Pueblo of Laguna Historic District placed on the National Register of Historic Places

Patron, Feast Day and the Statue of San José

The mission is dedicated to St. Joseph, the foster father of Our Lord. Its most venerated object is an old hand-carved statue of St. Joseph brought from Old Mexico in 1699; according to Laguna tradition the saint was dipped into the river flowing around the pueblo, and from that act the watercourse has ever since been called the San José River. The statue is still carried in solemn procession on the two annual feasts — March 19 and September 19 — and in times of communal difficulty.

• Primary feast: September 19 (Fiesta of San José)
• Secondary feast: March 19
• Historic statue of St. Joseph, brought from Mexico in 1699
• Processions through the village on feast days and in times of trouble

The Mission Church: Architecture and Art

San José de la Laguna is built in the early Pueblo-Franciscan style. Unlike most New Mexico mission churches, which are built of adobe brick, San José was constructed of stone laid in adobe mortar. It measures roughly 105 feet long by 22 feet wide inside, and its carved wooden front doors bear the Coat of Arms of the Bishop of Durango (right) and the Franciscan Order (left). Inside, the sanctuary holds a hand-hewn wooden altar, early Spanish altar paintings of St. Barbara, St. John Nepomucene, St. Joseph and the Blessed Trinity, and a large painting of St. Joseph and the Christ Child on elk skin — one of the largest such paintings in existence.

• Stone-and-adobe construction, Pueblo-Franciscan style
• Carved doors: Bishop of Durango coat of arms (right) and Franciscan arms (left)
• Hand-hewn altar and early Spanish altar paintings
• Large painting of St. Joseph and the Christ Child on elk skin

The Eight Mission Churches

St. Joseph Parish supervises eight mission churches across the Laguna-Acoma area, an arrangement that reflects the historic role of the Laguna mission as the 'mother church' of the surrounding villages. Mailing for all eight missions goes through the parish office at PO Box 1000, 1 Friar Rd, Laguna NM 87026-1000.

• San Esteban del Rey — Acoma
• St. Anne — Acomita
• Santa Maria de Acoma — McCartys
• Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — Encinal
• Sacred Heart of Jesus — Mesita
• St. Elizabeth of Hungary — Paguate
• St. Margaret Mary — Paraje
• St. Anne — Seama

Clergy and Franciscan Stewardship

The parish has been served by Franciscan missionaries continuously since its foundation in 1699, and today is staffed within the Diocese of Gallup. The Diocese of Gallup parish page lists Fr. Joseph Xavier Kanna as the priest assigned to St. Joseph, Laguna. Mission work in the Laguna-Acoma area is coordinated with the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Order of Friars Minor (the Southwest Franciscans), headquartered in Albuquerque.

• Diocese of Gallup
• Stewarded in continuity with the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans)
• Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Southwest Franciscans), Albuquerque

Visiting Laguna Pueblo

Old Laguna sits along historic Route 66, about 40 miles west of Albuquerque, and is the largest of the Keresan-speaking pueblos. The white-washed church of San José on its hilltop is the pueblo's most recognizable landmark and a popular visitor destination. Visitors are asked to respect Pueblo customs — including rules about photography and entry into the village — and to coordinate visits through the pueblo when appropriate.

• About 40 miles west of Albuquerque on I-40 / old Route 66
• Largest Keresan-speaking pueblo
• Respect Pueblo rules on photography and visitation

Contact

Parish mail and contacts for all the Laguna-Acoma missions go through the St. Joseph parish office.

• Address: 1 Friar Rd, PO Box 1000, Laguna, NM 87026-1000
• Phone: (505) 552-9330
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: facebook.com/StJosephLaguna