About St. Joseph on the Rio Grande · Albuquerque, New Mexico
St. Joseph on the Rio Grande is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish on Albuquerque's northwest side, part of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish, reflecting the deep Hispanic Catholic heritage that has shaped New Mexico since the colonial era. Located beside the Rio Grande on St. Joseph Drive NW, the parish serves a vibrant, multigenerational community through ministries of faith, hospitality, liturgy, compassion, and justice, and is currently pastored by Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna.
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Why belong here
St. Joseph on the Rio Grande offers a warm, bilingual Catholic home on Albuquerque's West Side where parishioners can worship in English or Spanish and find a ministry that fits their gifts. From weekday Mass and Saturday confession to Eucharistic Adoration, the Legion of Mary, That Man Is You, the Holy Spirit Prayer Group, and a robust Youth Faith Formation program, the parish supports every age and stage of Catholic life. Its long-running Our Lady's Rosary Makers, Saint Vincent de Paul outreach, and Lovers for a Lifetime marriage ministry reflect a community committed to faith, family, and service.
Mass times at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM (Standard Time)
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM (Daylight Savings Time)
Adoration times
- Friday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (First Friday of the month)
About St. Joseph on the Rio Grande
St. Joseph on the Rio Grande is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, located on Albuquerque's northwest side along the Rio Grande. The parish is in union with the Roman Catholic Church and celebrates the presence of Christ in the local community through Word and Sacrament. Its mission statement calls the community to make Jesus known through ministries of faith, hospitality, liturgy, compassion, and justice.
- Member parish of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe
- Bilingual (English and Spanish) worship
- Guided by mission of faith, hospitality, liturgy, compassion, and justice
Parish History
St. Joseph on the Rio Grande is one of the newer parishes serving Albuquerque's West Side, situated across the river from the older historic parishes on the city's East Side. Over its early decades the parish built up savings intended for future capital needs like roof and stucco work. In April 2021, the parish council, led by Monsignor Lambert Luna, voted to give $300,000 of those reserves to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe to help address clergy sexual abuse claims through the archdiocese's bankruptcy process — a vivid expression of the parish's belief in being one church, one body.
- Described in regional press as a 'newer' West Side parish
- Pastored by Monsignor Lambert Luna at time of 2021 bankruptcy contribution
- Council and finance leadership guided parish through 2021 financial decision
Clergy, Staff & Leadership
The parish is pastored by Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna. Father Bill McNichols serves as Sacramental Minister and is also an iconographer who has been working in northern New Mexico since 1999, having begun his vocation as an iconographer in 1990. Deacon Leroy Chavez supports parish ministry, including as a contact for the That Man Is You men's program.
- Monsignor Lambert Joseph Luna — Pastor
- Father Bill McNichols — Sacramental Minister; iconographer since 1990, in northern New Mexico since 1999
- Deacon Leroy Chavez — contact for TMIY men's faith formation
- Parish Office located in the east wing of the church building
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish runs a robust Youth Faith Formation (YFF) program with sessions on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Per archdiocesan policy, students must be enrolled in faith formation for two consecutive years to receive the sacraments, regardless of enrollment in a Catholic school. Sacramental preparation is coordinated through the YFF office.
- YFF Sundays: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
- YFF Wednesdays: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Early enrollment (through August 2): $45/student, $135 max per immediate family
- Standard enrollment: $55/student, $165 max per immediate family
- Contact: [email protected] or 505-244-2154
Parish Ministries & Groups
The parish supports an active array of ministries serving children, adults, married couples, seniors, and those in need. From prayer and study groups to outreach and the arts of Catholic devotion, members have many ways to get involved.
- Eucharistic Ministers (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion)
- Legion of Mary — Wednesdays at 10:00 AM, Nazareth Center
- Holy Spirit Prayer Group — Thursdays at 6:00 PM, Nazareth Center
- That Man Is You (TMIY) — Saturday mornings at 7:00 AM
- Senior Singles from A-Zeke — 2nd & 4th Wednesday at 10:00 AM
- Saint Vincent de Paul Ministry — 2nd & 4th Tuesday, 6:30–7:30 PM, Room 138
Our Lady's Rosary Makers
Our Lady's Rosary Makers describe themselves as 'the hands and feet of Our Lady.' Members handcraft rosaries for endings and beginnings, the needy and lonely, families, healing, peace, missions around the world, nursing homes, military members in combat zones, First Communicants, and prison ministry. The group holds rosary sales twice a year and contributes to the parish building fund and the Youth Group summer camp.
- President: Elizabeth Encinias
- Twice-yearly rosary sales fund mission rosaries and parish causes
- Rosaries distributed to missions, military, nursing homes, prison ministry
Lovers for a Lifetime — Marriage Ministry
Lovers for a Lifetime is the parish's marriage ministry, celebrating and strengthening sacramental marriages through prayer, activities, and a supportive community. The core planning team meets monthly and welcomes new couples to help plan events, host retreats, and support parish marriages. Catholic marriage, the ministry notes, was elevated by Christ at the wedding at Cana as one of the seven sacraments.
- Contact: [email protected]
- Core team contact: Michael Perea, 505-903-4837
- Open to all couples interested in supporting sacramental marriage
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the sacraments of initiation, marriage, healing, and Holy Orders. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation follows archdiocesan policy of two consecutive years of faith formation. Couples discerning marriage are supported through Lovers for a Lifetime. Those discerning priesthood or the diaconate are invited to speak with a priest or deacon for vocational guidance.
- Baptism — register with the parish
- First Holy Communion & Confirmation — two years of faith formation required
- Marriage — preparation through Lovers for a Lifetime
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- Holy Orders — discernment support from parish priests and deacons