City: Albuquerque, NM

Category: Relocation

Description: With over four centuries of Catholicism in the state of New Mexico, it’s not surprising that Catholics still form the biggest single religious congregation in Albuquerque, with over a quarter of a million adherents in the metro area. Missionaries from other spiritual traditions mainly arrived with the railroad, which opened up the region to newcomers of other denominations and the ministers to tend the flocks. Hence, many of Albuquerque’s oldest churches in faiths other than Catholicism were established from 1880 onward. Today Albuquerque citizens have their choice of a full roster of religious affiliations, from Adventists to Zen Buddhists. The Albuquerque Historical Society estimated in 2006 that the city had around 600 houses of worship. Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, and followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are all well represented in the city, and Albuquerque’s rich ethnic mix also provides a Russian Orthodox, a Greek Orthodox, and an Armenian church, plus a number of Korean churches, an Islamic mosque, and a Thai Buddhist temple. Most of Albuquerque’s larger churches have some kind of program for children during services, as well as a lively schedule of interest groups and religious and social activities for all congregants. Many are involved in outreach or social-action initiatives. Some of the churches below have a strong musical tradition, meshing music as praise with Albuquerque’s enduring love of the arts. This section highlights some of the older, larger, or otherwise notable houses of worship in various spiritual traditions.