St. Paul Chapel (New Mexico Highlands University)

About St. Paul Chapel (NMHU Newman Center)

St. Paul Chapel serves as the Catholic chaplaincy and student center for New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Operated under the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, it is officially listed on Newman Connection as the NMHU Newman Center and provides a welcoming space for students, faculty, and staff from NMHU and from Luna Community College, as well as for young adults from the wider community. The center's stated mission is to provide 'a safe and respectful environment for those who simply desire to learn more about Jesus Christ and the works of the Bible,' meeting students and community members wherever they are in their faith journey.

Building History: From 1886 Synagogue to Catholic Chapel

The chapel occupies one of the most historically significant religious buildings in New Mexico. Originally dedicated on September 20, 1886 as Congregation Montefiore, it was the first synagogue erected in the New Mexico Territory, built by a Jewish community that, in 1880, was one of the largest in the American Southwest. In 1922 the entire wood-frame structure was moved on rollers four blocks uphill from Ninth and Douglas Avenue to its present location at 901 8th Street (Eighth and Columbia) to make way for a new federal courthouse and post office. After the Jewish population of Las Vegas declined and regular services ended in 1950, the congregation sold the building in 1957 to the Las Vegas Bible Church, which in turn sold it in 1964 to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for use as the Newman Center at New Mexico Highlands University. The Catholic center remodeled the interior, while the exterior essentially retains the 1886 character — though stucco coating and the loss of the original tower cap have altered its architectural silhouette.

• 1884 – Congregation Montefiore begins fundraising for a permanent synagogue
• September 20, 1886 – Original Montefiore Synagogue dedicated
• 1922 – Entire frame building physically relocated to 8th and Columbia
• 1950 – Regular Jewish services cease
• 1957 – Congregation sells building to Las Vegas Bible Church
• 1964 – Bible Church sells building to Archdiocese of Santa Fe for use as NMHU Newman Center
• 2000 – Historical marker placed by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation
• August 2022 – Las Vegas Jewish Community, Inc. purchases the building back from the Archdiocese

Worship, Bible Study & Prayer

As a small campus chaplaincy, the Newman's offerings have historically centered on Catholic fellowship, the sacraments, and ongoing formation. The Las Vegas Optic's local church directory lists Saint Paul Newman Center at Eighth and Columbia with a Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and a Prayer Group on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., alongside the Sunday and weekday Mass schedule of the campus community. Visitors and prospective parishioners should contact the Archdiocese of Santa Fe or NMHU for current Mass and confession times, as the chapel's operating status changed after the building's 2022 sale.

• Tuesday Bible Study – 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday Prayer Group – 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday and weekday Mass — see current Archdiocese of Santa Fe schedule

Student Life: Catholic Cowboy Newman Club

The student-facing ministry of St. Paul Chapel is chartered at NMHU as the Catholic Cowboy Newman Club, a Religious/Spiritual and Social organization whose stated purpose is 'to promote Catholic fellowship on the NMHU campus and in the Las Vegas community.' The club pairs classic Newman Center fellowship — meetings, retreats, service projects, and faith formation — with the Highlands' distinctive cowboy culture of northern New Mexico, creating a uniquely regional Catholic student life.

• Official NMHU chartered campus club
• Hosts weekly meetings, retreats, and service projects
• Encourages members to engage with Catholic values and grow in faith
• Welcomes students from NMHU and Luna Community College

Community & Outreach

Beyond the campus, the Newman Center explicitly welcomes young adults from the wider Las Vegas community to its events and activities. The center serves as a bridge between the university and the town, hosting Bible study, prayer groups, and fellowship gatherings that are open to anyone curious about the Catholic faith — no matter their starting point. Newman's broader network also connects NMHU students to wider Catholic charities and service opportunities (for example, Catholic-in-the-City's blog has documented NMHU Newman's engagement with Catholic Charities in the Albuquerque area).

• Open to NMHU and Luna Community College students, staff, and faculty
• Welcomes young adults from the Las Vegas community
• Connected to the broader Newman Connection network of campus ministries
• Documented engagement with Catholic Charities and regional service efforts

Diocese & Governance

St. Paul Chapel is listed under the Archdiocese of Santa Fe as the official Catholic chaplaincy for New Mexico Highlands University. It appears in the Archdiocese's directory of parishes and chaplaincies, and in the 2021 Las Vegas Optic church directory the Catholic section lists 'Saint Paul Newman Center, Eighth and Columbia' as part of the local Catholic landscape alongside Immaculate Conception Church, Our Lady of Sorrows, and other San Miguel County parishes served by the Archdiocese.

• Diocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe
• Listed in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe parish and chaplaincy directory
• Affiliated with the national Newman Connection campus ministry network

Location & Visiting

The chapel sits at 901 8th Street (corner of 8th and Columbia) in Las Vegas, New Mexico — within the New Mexico Highlands University area historic district. The Las Vegas, NM historic walking tour describes the building as part of District Five (New Mexico Highlands University Area & Historic Churches), noting its significance as the first synagogue in New Mexico and its transition to the Newman Center. Visitors are encouraged to confirm current Mass, confession, and event schedules with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe or NMHU before traveling, especially in light of the building's 2022 transfer of ownership to the Las Vegas Jewish Community, Inc.

• Address: 901 8th Street, Las Vegas, NM 87701 (Eighth and Columbia)
• Within the NMHU Area Historic Churches walking-tour district
• Site of a 2000 historical marker for Temple Montefiore