Church of the Incarnation

Church of the Incarnation Our parish was founded in July 2003. Welcome to Church of the Incarnation!

We are a welcoming community of Catholic Christians that invite everyone to a personal encounter with Christ through the grace of the Sacraments and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. Our Regular Mass & Confession Schedules are:

Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (fulfills Sunday obligation)
Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 5:30 PM

Tuesday & Friday 8:00 AM

Confes

sions:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM

Tuesday & Friday 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM

Saturday 2:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Sunday 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM

05/23/2026

Congratulations on your 11th anniversary of the priesthood. May the Lord continue to bless you and guide you.

We are pleased to share that Archbishop Wester has assigned Fr. Michael Villavicencio to our parish as our new parochial...
05/19/2026

We are pleased to share that Archbishop Wester has assigned Fr. Michael Villavicencio to our parish as our new parochial vicar. Fr. Michael is a recently ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (2025) and brings with him a strong love for the Lord and for parish ministry.

His assignment will begin on June 6, 2026, and we look forward to welcoming him into our parish family as he works with us to serve God’s people.

May Crowning 2026O Blessed Virgin Mary, we crown you with love in this month of May. Guide us to your Son, Jesus Christ,...
05/04/2026

May Crowning 2026

O Blessed Virgin Mary, we crown you with love in this month of May. Guide us to your Son, Jesus Christ, and help us follow your example each day.

May 2, 2026

Congratulations to all Confirmation candidates on this meaningful step in your faith journey. You are sealed with the gi...
05/01/2026

Congratulations to all Confirmation candidates on this meaningful step in your faith journey. You are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and strengthened to live with courage, compassion, and conviction. May you be guided by wisdom, filled with grace, and inspired to be a light to others in all you do. May this special day remind you of your commitment to grow in faith, to serve with love, and to walk always in the presence of God.

04/15/2026

The parish office will be closed for the remainder of the day (4/14/26). Please pray for the repose of the soul of our dear Sr. Roseann.

The Easter Vigil: The Mother of All VigilsThe Easter Vigil is the summit of the Triduum and the most significant celebra...
04/08/2026

The Easter Vigil: The Mother of All Vigils

The Easter Vigil is the summit of the Triduum and the most significant celebration of the liturgical year. It is a vigil in honor of the Lord, marking His passage from death to life. Liturgical law mandates that the Vigil must take place at night, starting after nightfall and concluding before daybreak. This is not simply a practical matter but a theological one: we must experience the darkness before we can truly appreciate the light.

The Vigil unfolds in four major parts. First comes the Service of Light, which begins in darkness outside the church. A blazing fire is prepared and blessed, from which the Paschal Candle is lit. This candle, made of genuine wax and renewed annually, represents the Risen Christ. As the candle is carried into the darkened church, the deacon chants "Christ our Light!" three times, and the people respond each time. Gradually, light spreads throughout the church as individual candles are lit from the Paschal Candle. The service concludes with the Exsultet, an ancient and beautiful hymn that proclaims the theological significance of this most holy night.

The second part is the Liturgy of the Word, which is the most extensive in the Roman Rite. It consists of seven Old Testament readings and two New Testament readings, designed to retell the entire story of salvation. We hear about the creation of the world, the sacrifice of Isaac, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the promise of a new heart and a new spirit. The Red Sea reading is mandatory because it is the central event of the first Passover, which Christ definitively fulfills. After the Old Testament readings, the Gloria is sung as bells ring joyfully, and the Alleluia, absent throughout Lent, is chanted with special solemnity.

The third part is the Baptismal Liturgy. The Easter Vigil is the proper time for the initiation of adults into the Church. The Paschal Candle is used to bless the baptismal water, which is then used for the Baptism and Confirmation of the Elect. Even if there are no baptisms, the entire congregation renews their baptismal promises, renouncing Satan and professing faith in the triune God, followed by a sprinkling with the newly blessed water. This reminds us that we have all passed through our own Red Sea, from death to life, through the waters of Baptism.

Finally, the Vigil culminates in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the first Mass of Easter, where the newly baptized receive Holy Communion for the first time. This Eucharist is the repeatable sacrament of initiation that sustains the life of the Risen Lord within the community.

Good Friday: The Triumph of the CrossGood Friday is a day of deep penance, mandatory fasting, and abstinence. It is the ...
04/04/2026

Good Friday: The Triumph of the Cross

Good Friday is a day of deep penance, mandatory fasting, and abstinence. It is the only day in the Roman Rite when the Sacrifice of the Mass is prohibited. Instead, the Church gathers for the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord, ideally at three o'clock in the afternoon, the very hour when Jesus breathed His last on the cross.

The liturgy consists of three primary movements: the Word, the Cross, and Communion. The service begins with a dramatic expression of sorrow and humility as the priest prostrates himself before the bare altar. The Passion according to John is then proclaimed, typically by three readers representing Christ, the Evangelist, and the crowd. After a brief homily, the Church prays the Solemn Intercessions, ten ancient prayers for the Church, the world, and all people. These prayers reflect the universal scope of Christ's redemptive suffering, as we pray for everyone from the Pope to those who do not believe in God, from catechumens to those in tribulation.

The Veneration of the Cross is unique to this day and forms the heart of the liturgy. As the Cross is unveiled, the priest sings, "Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world." The priest, clergy, lay ministers, and faithful then approach individually to venerate the Cross by genuflection, kissing, or another appropriate sign. This is our public acknowledgement of the instrument of our salvation. During this time, specific chants are sung, including the ancient Reproaches, in which Christ speaks to His people about their rejection of Him despite all He has done for them.

The liturgy concludes with Holy Communion, using hosts consecrated the previous evening. This feeds the faithful with the fruit of the sacrifice they have just commemorated. The service ends in profound silence, with no dismissal. We depart quietly to wait by the tomb.

Holy Thursday: The Gift of HimselfThe evening Mass of the Lord's Supper commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus instit...
04/04/2026

Holy Thursday: The Gift of Himself

The evening Mass of the Lord's Supper commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders. This liturgy is characterized by both profound joy and the beginning of the Lord's Passion. During this Mass, we remember that Jesus gave us the greatest gift imaginable: Himself, truly present in the Eucharist.

After the homily, the priest may wash the feet of several parishioners in what we call the Mandatum, from the Latin word for "commandment." This washing of feet recalls Jesus' new commandment to love one another as He has loved us. Recent reforms have clarified that this group should represent the entire People of God, including men, women, young, and old. It's a powerful reminder that Christian leadership means humble service.

During the Canon of the Mass, the priest consecrates enough bread for the Communion of the faithful on both Holy Thursday and Good Friday, since no Mass will be celebrated on Friday. After the Post-Communion prayer, something unusual happens. The Blessed Sacrament is not placed in the main tabernacle, which must be empty. Instead, it is carried in a solemn procession through the church to a decorated chapel of reservation, where the faithful are invited to continue adoration during the night.

The liturgy concludes in silence with the stripping of the altar. The altar cloths are removed, crosses are taken away or veiled, and the sanctuary lamp is extinguished. This stark transformation symbolizes the abandonment of Christ by His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. We leave the church in silence, following Jesus into His agony.

Palm Sunday, as we begin Holy Week, let us welcome Christ into our hearts with humility and devotion, walking with Him t...
03/29/2026

Palm Sunday, as we begin Holy Week, let us welcome Christ into our hearts with humility and devotion, walking with Him through His Passion so that we may share in the joy of His Resurrection.

Address

2309 Monterrey Road NE
Rio Rancho, NM
87144

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 1pm

Telephone

+15057718331

Website

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