About St. Teresa of Avila · Grants, New Mexico
St. Teresa of Avila is a Roman Catholic parish in Grants, New Mexico, and the largest parish in the Cibola area of the Diocese of Gallup. The parish traces its origins to 1911, when Franciscan missionary Father Robert Kalt — beloved as 'El Padre Roberto' — celebrated the first Mass in Grants at the home of Don Jesus Maria Blea. The current church was completed in 1923 and the community was formally designated a parish in 1942. Today St. Teresa anchors the Cibola Catholic Community, hosting Mass in both English and Spanish, a parish school, daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a wide range of parish organizations including the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, and RCIA.
- Established
- 1923 (church dedicated); 1942 (designated a parish)
- Patron
- St. Teresa of Avila
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Augustine Laiju Mathew, JCL (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Gallup (Bishop James S. Wall)
Why belong here
St. Teresa of Avila is the largest parish in the Cibola area and the spiritual heart of the region — its pastor also oversees the Eastern Cluster of the Cibola Deanery. Parishioners find a full Catholic life here: daily Mass Monday through Friday, Saturday Vigil and two Sunday Masses, weekly Confession on multiple days, daily Eucharistic Adoration from 9 AM to 9 PM, and a deep bench of lay organizations (Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, Cursillistas, Searchers, RCIA, CCD, Bible Study, Charismatic group, and more). Mass is offered in English and Spanish, and the parish's K–8 school has shaped generations of local families.
Mass times at St. Teresa of Avila
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Saturday — after 8:00 AM Mass
- Tuesday — 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
- Thursday — 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Saturday — 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
History of St. Teresa of Avila Parish
The Catholic community of Grants was born in 1911 when Franciscan missionary Father Robert Kalt — known to everyone as 'El Padre Roberto' — celebrated the first Mass at the home of Don Jesus Maria Blea. For the next two decades, Catholics in Grants had no church of their own and traveled to San Rafael, where Padre Roberto was based out of San Fidel. Under his leadership, construction on a church in Grants began in 1920 and was completed in 1923. Archbishop Albert Daeger of Santa Fe dedicated the new building to St. Teresa of Avila in a memorable ceremony. The community was formally designated a parish in 1942, with Padre Roberto as its first pastor. The parish grew rapidly during the uranium boom of the 1950s, and a stone community center was built in 1951 on land donated by the Gunderson family. The current church and rectory at High and Smith Streets were completed in 1959, and St. Teresa's Catholic School was built in 1954 — both under Franciscan pastor Father Austin, who served twelve years. For 91 years the parish was served by Franciscans; diocesan priests took over in 2002.
- First Mass in Grants: 1911, at the home of Don Jesus Maria Blea
- Church built: 1920–1923; dedicated by Archbishop Albert Daeger of Santa Fe
- Designated a parish: 1942
- Community Center built: 1951 (under Fr. Gerard Geier, OFM)
- St. Teresa's Catholic School built: 1954 (under Fr. Austin Ernestes, OFM)
- Present church and rectory built: 1959 at High and Smith Streets (under Fr. Austin)
- Franciscan era ended: August 1, 2002 (last Mass by Fr. Emeric Nordmeyer, OFM)
Parish Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by Parochial Administrator Rev. Fr. Augustine Laiju Mathew, JCL, a canon lawyer from Kerala, India, who also serves in the Diocese of Gallup's Tribunal Office handling marriage and annulment cases. He is assisted by two Parochial Vicars — Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Johnson, SC, and Rev. Fr. Aaron Alford — and Deacon Larry Chavez. The parish sits within the Cibola Vicariate of the Diocese of Gallup, whose ordinary is Bishop James S. Wall.
- Fr. Augustine Laiju Mathew, JCL — Parochial Administrator
- Fr. Emmanuel Johnson, SC — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Aaron Alford — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Larry Chavez
- Bishop James S. Wall — Diocese of Gallup
Parish Ministries & Organizations
St. Teresa is described by the parish itself as 'currently the largest parish in the area' and the center of an unusually wide range of lay organizations. These groups span spiritual formation, evangelization, charity, and family life, and they draw members from across the Cibola region. The parish also hosts the Western Cluster of the Cibola Deanery, and its pastor has authority over the Eastern Cluster as well.
- Knights of Columbus
- Cursillistas (Cursillo movement)
- Searchers
- C.C.D. (religious education)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Legion of Mary
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Bible Study group
- Third Order Charismatic group
- School Board
- Parent Teacher group
St. Teresa's Catholic School
The need for a parish elementary school became evident as Grants grew in the mid-20th century. The present school building was constructed in 1954 under the direction of Father Austin (Austin Ernestes, OFM), who was serving as pastor at the time. According to the parish, St. Teresa's Catholic School has since graduated students 'now numbering in the thousands who have grown into leadership roles in the community and throughout the entire State of New Mexico.' The parish's Parent Teacher group and School Board support the school community today.
- School building constructed: 1954 under Fr. Austin Ernestes, OFM
- Alumni have assumed leadership roles across New Mexico
Languages & Liturgical Life
Mass at St. Teresa is celebrated in both English and Spanish, reflecting the bilingual Catholic culture of western New Mexico and the historic Hispanic Catholic presence of the Grants area. GCatholic lists English and Spanish as the parish's liturgical languages.
- English
- Spanish
Cibola Catholic Community
St. Teresa of Avila is the anchor parish of the Cibola Catholic Community, a collaborative grouping of the Catholic parishes and missions in Cibola County. The community shares a website (cibolacatholiccommunity.com), a Facebook page, and a single parish office. The Parochial Administrator serves as the community's principal priest, supported by Parochial Vicars who assist across the parishes. The site also publishes a weekly parish bulletin.
- Website: cibolacatholiccommunity.com
- Facebook: Cibola Catholic Community
- Weekly bulletin published online
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Teresa's parish office is located at 213 Smith Street in Grants, New Mexico. The current church building sits at the corner of High and Smith Streets (500 E High St.). The parish can be reached by phone or email, and bulletins and announcements are posted to the Cibola Catholic Community website and Facebook page.
- Parish office: 213 Smith St., Grants, NM 87020
- Mailing: P.O. Box 668, Grants, NM 87020-0668
- Church: 500 E High St., Grants, NM 87020
- Phone: (505) 285-6645
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Robert Kalt, OFM ("El Padre Roberto")1942–1946
First pastor; celebrated the first Mass in Grants in 1911 and oversaw construction of the original church (completed 1923, dedicated by Archbishop Albert Daeger).
- Fr. Gerard Geier, OFM
Built the large stone St. Teresa Community Center in 1951 on land donated by the Gunderson family.
- Fr. Austin Ernestes, OFMserved 12 years as pastor
Built St. Teresa's Catholic School (1954) and the present church and rectory at High and Smith Streets (1959).
- Fr. Emeric Nordmeyer, OFM
Celebrated the last Franciscan Mass in Grants on August 1, 2002, ending 91 years of Franciscan pastoral care.