Announcements & Statements

Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan's Statement on Stem Cell Research More>
Archdiocese of Santa Fe Pastoral Plan .... English I Spanish
Policy for Political Campaign Activities More>
Inter-Religious Statement on the Middle East Crises More>

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USCCB Papal Visit Site/ Video-Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to Catholics and People of the United States of America on the Occasion of the Upcoming Apostolic Journey

This official site provides information on the Holy Father's visit to the United States on Tuesday, April 15 through Sunday, April 20. It includes the Pope's itinerary, video, audio, stories, books, blog, and RSS feed. More>

Archdiocesan Catholic School Students Scoring Two Grade Levels Above Peers on National Standardized Test

The numbers are in … the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Catholic School students are scoring, on the average, two years above their respective grade levels in all core subject areas on the National Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) Standardized Tests. More>

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Face Lift Begins

In preparation for the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Parish’s 400th Anniversary in 2009-2010, the exterior stone surface of the Cathedral Basilica structure will undergo an extensive cleaning and preservation. Work is scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 4, 2008.

Over the last 150 years, the New Mexico sandstone of which the Church is composed has suffered greatly from acid rain and pollution. More>

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill Killed in New Mexico

Life at its utmost vulnerable state has once again been successfully defended. For the second year in a row, the bill to allow embryonic stem cell research in the State of New Mexico has been defeated. The New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops (NMCCB) vigorously defended the consistent ethic of life and opposed the proposed 2008 legislation by Governor Bill Richardson and Senator John Ryan to make embryonic stem cell research legal in New Mexico. The NMCCB (Most Rev. Michael J. Sheehan, Archbishop of Santa Fe; Most Rev. Ricardo Ramirez, Bishop of Las Cruces; Most Rev. Donald Pelotte, Bishop of Gallup; and Mr. Allen Sanchez, NMCCB Executive Director) tirelessly lobbied legislators to defeat Senate Bill 23 during the recent 2008 New Mexico Legislative Session. More>

Couples to Celebrate Sacrament of Marriage Saturday, February 2, 2008

Over five hundred inquiring phone calls were received. With the proper authorization, Deacon Juan Barajas, Director the Office of Hispanic Ministry, provided interested couples specific guidelines and held orientation meetings. The majority of the couples had been married in civil ceremonies and some have been living together. Couples who previously had been married by the Church and had not completed the annulment process were informed about the proper procedures required and encouraged to contact the Office of the Tribunal to seek guidance. More>

New Mexico’s Roman Catholic Bishops to
Host Sanctity of Life Awareness and Unity Days
January 21 and 22, 2008

Event Includes Rosary Procession from Cathedral to State Capitol

Mr. Allen Sanchez, NMCCB Executive Director, said: It is important that we are all united in our efforts to promote the dignity of life and protect life. Life issues are the most important issues facing our society today. An example is that any girl considered a minor, be it 15 or 11 years old can receive an abortion in New Mexico without her parents being notified. There is no age limit, no requirement for parental notification. It horrifies parents when I explain to them that an adult stranger can take their little girl to an abortion clinic without their consent, without their knowledge. There is no recourse for parents. This is only the tip of the iceberg of attacks on life. More >

Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan Condemns Attacks on Planned Parenthood

Although the Roman Catholic Church supports life from conception to natural death, we condemn attacks on the Planned Parenthood facilities. More>

Groundbreaking of New San Jose Church
Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, Presider
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 5:15 PM

The long awaited groundbreaking of the new San Jose Church will take place on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 5:15 PM. San Jose Parish has been blessed with an abundance of parishioners. Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan recognized the need of a larger, more spacious church to accommodate this need ...

At this time, the parish holds four Masses every Sunday for the over 1400
registered families. Three of those Masses are in Spanish to serve the Spanish-speaking
population, many of whom are immigrants. Currently, two of those
Masses are filled beyond the capacity of the current church building. More>

ASF/UNM Gift Agreement Signed: $500,000 Kicks Off Archdiocesan Campaign to Fund UNM Endowed Chair in Roman Catholic Studies, June 26

UNM President David J.Schmidly and Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan

History was made today when Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan signed a gift agreement with the University of New Mexico establishing a permanent endowed Chair in Roman Catholic Studies, the first such chair at a secular university in the Southwest. The Archbishop presented UNM President David J. Schmidly with a check for $500,000, given by generous Catholic donors, kicking off the $2.5 million Archdiocesan campaign to fully fund the Chair. More>

US Bishops Meet U.S. Bishops Meet in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, June 18-22

This week, June 18-22, the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops of the United States are meeting here in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. This is the first time in our history that the Archdiocese is hosting all the U.S. Bishops. We are deeply honored.

The schedule is different than most meetings in that the Bishops will not be involved in debating and voting on documents and conducting the regular work of the Conference. It will be a retreat format with prayer and discussion on the spiritual and pastoral responsibilities that they have as Shepherds of the flock.

Approximately 224 members of the hierarchy are attending. More>

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Men Under Construction 2008
Being a committed Christian man in today's society is becoming increasingly difficult. A natural tension exists between the stereotypical male, the one many of us were taught to be, the male held up by the media, and the male that God calls us to be. Please join us for Men Under Construction Conference on Saturday, June 7. More>

Los Amigos de San Jose has been established by the Archbishop of Santa Fe to sponsor and support the vibrant and growing ministry of San Jose parish. In fact, Archbishop Sheehan has pledged $500,000 toward the building of San Jose church. This money is part of a special fund that has been designated to support immigrant people. More>

Past Press Releases

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