History:

The San Antonito Mission Church was established around 1885.  Leonard Skinner, the owner and operator of a local saw mill, donated some of the lumber for the church.  Most of the lumber and building materials came from the old mission church in San Pedro, near Golden, NM.  Mr. Skinner was married to Cecilia Montes in 1873.  He died in 1910 at the age of 71 and his wife died in 1917 at the age of 65.  Mr. Skinner was not Catholic, so he was buried in front of the church in unconsecrated ground.  His wife requested that she be buried beside him.  Their 4-month-old son Harry died in 1895 and is also buried in the front part of the church.

The church was dedicated to Señor de Mapimí (Christ on the Cross). The crucifix of Señor de Mapimí was donated by Liz Montes Garcia, which she brought from from Mapimí, Mexico, a small mining town in the northern desert of Mexico.  On Holy Thursday in the year of 1715, during the procession with the Santo, the faithful of Mapimí, Mexico were attacked by Indians.  Most of the people were killed and the church was destroyed.  A small group managed to escape taking the Santo of Señor de Mapimí with them. 

The Santo of Señor de Mapimí was used for processions during fiestas, which were generally held after the bean crop was harvested and sold.  Unfortunately, it was stolen from the church in 1973 and was never found.  Now a smaller crucifix is taken out on processions for the church's September fiesta.  

Learn more about the San Antonito fiesta:

Mayordomos:

Tony and Jeanette Rael

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