San Clemente Catholic Church in Los Lunas, New Mexico, is more modern (by historic standards) and a larger church in Valencia County. At the entrance, an anchor symbolizes Saint Clement, namesake of our own San Clemente. During the last decade of the first century A.D., he was Pope Clement I in Rome. As the story goes, Clement converted so many Romans to Christianity that unhappy Roman authorities tossed him into the sea, tying an anchor around him. Martyred, he became a Catholic saint. The Los Lunas church interior displays two statues of St. Clement.

There are at least seven, historic churches around the Los Lunas area, dating back to the 1600's.

Pictured to the left is the church before the renovation and construction in 2001.

Included in the renovation was the preservation of the old church building turning it into a “Gathering Room” for funeral viewing and other gatherings (pictured below).

It took almost a year to complete the $1.5 million renovation and construction of the place of worship. San Clemente Catholic Church now seats 850 to 900 people.

Gathering Room                                                                                                                     San Clemente Catholic Church Today