The Catholic Church played an important part in the history of Harding County. In 1882, Springer was a mission and under the jurisdiction of Onate. That same year it was made a parish with a large mission territory under it. Some of the missions the parish priest had to visit were Raton, Ponil, Blossburg, Vermejo, Dillon, Colmor, Agua Dulce, Folsom, Roy, Albert, Martinez and Arroyo Yutes.

A mission parish priest from Springer was expected to visit each of these places, and others, at least once every two months. Because of the condition of the roads and the means available for travel, it took a priest up to two months to cover his territory and pay visits.

In 1882, Father Accrosini became the first priest in Springer's St. Joseph Parish.

Edwin V. Byrne

born August 9, 1891 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; ordained May 22, 1915; consecrated & appointed First Bishop of Ponce, Puerto Rico June 23, 1925; appointed Bishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico 1929; promoted Archbishop of Santa Fe June 15, 1943; died July 25, 1963 in Santa Fe, NM

Conrad Lammert

Father Lammert was a native of Muenster, Germany.  He was at Springer before being appointed pastor of the new parish of Bueyeros.  He remained there until 1914 when he was transferred to Bernalillo where he died.

Father Lammert was instrumental in building the parish church at Bueyeros as well as in the construction of several other churches in the parish. 

We find the following written in the Baptismal register:

In the beginning of the month of November 1898, I, the undersigned, took charge of the parish of Union County as successor of the Rev. Father G.H. Haelterman.  This parish is not administered separately, but together with the parish of St. Joseph at Springer, which is considered the headquarters until there is a residence for a permanent pastor.

(Signed) C. Lammert
Pastor of Springer and Union County

However, only two years later we find the following entry:

On the first of April 1900, I moved from Springer to Bueyeros since the residence there is completed and from this date I will be in charge of the Parish of Union County whose limits extend as far as Mineral and Cimarron, Oklahoma, and as far as Saladito, Puerto, Endee and Plaza Large of Guadalupe County.

C. Lammert, Pastor

The Leading Facts of New Mexican History

Father Stadtmueller also a native of Germany, came to the U.S. in 1928, was ordained to the Priesthood in 1940 and came to New Mexico in July of that year.  After teaching at Lourdes School and being assistant in the parishes of Santa Rosa and Sacred Heart (Albuquerque), Fr. Stadtmueller was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's Parish (Mosquero), by his Excellency, Archbishop Edwin V. Byrne in November 1943.

Author: José Luis Rivera Mendoza (jluis1984) from Mexico

In the early 50s, a young photographer named Stanley Kubrick decided to quit his job at "Look" magazine and try his luck at directing movies after discovering the potential of cinema as an art form. While eventually Kubrick would become a master of the craft and a renowned artist by his own right, the young filmmaker had his humble beginning at making short newsreels for RKO Radio Pictures. It all started when a friend convinced him to make "Day of the Fight", a short documentary about boxing that they intended to sell to "The March of Time" newsreel. Sadly, that newsreel was canceled, but to their fortune, people at RKO liked Kubrick's movie and bought the film. While Kubrick didn't make money out of "Day of the Fight", it opened him the doors at RKO, as they gave him the chance to make a new documentary for them: "Flying Padre".

Narrated by CBS announcer Bob Hite, "Flying Padre" tells the story of two days in the life of Father Fred Stadtmuller, a Catholic priest in rural New Mexico with a very particular way of reaching the people of his 400-square mile parish. Since his parish is too large and the roads of New Mexico aren't really good, Father Stadtmuller uses a Piper Cub airplane to travel to whenever his people needs him, offering not only spiritual help, but sometimes also physical. Through the film, we follow this "Flying Padre" through his daily obligations, which not only include giving sermons at the church or helping people to solve their differences peacefully, as Father Stadtmuller also uses his plane to help people in emergencies. In the movie for example, Father Stadtmuller takes a sick child and his mother from their isolated ranch to the nearest hospital.

Based on Stadtmuller's experiences as priest of the New Mexico community of Mosquero, Stanley Kubrick wrote the screenplay for this brief recounting of several of Stadtmuller's adventures as Mosquero's "Flying Padre". Contrary to what the narration may tell, while the events portrayed in the movie did happen, what we see on screen is only a reenactment of them, not an actual depiction of Stadtmuller at work. Despite the fact that what it's on screen is obviously staged, Kubrick makes a great job at making us discover the true heroism behind the humble priest, and to a certain extent it's very informative about the situation of New Mexico's rural land of those years. The text of the narration (apparently also written by Kubrick) is very in tone with what was the standard in the early 50s, although often falls in the clichés of the era.

Father Dekeuwer was a native of Belgium who had left his native land to do missionary work in far-off North America.  He was known far and wide as "Padre Esteban".  Father Dekeuwer come to Bueyeros in May of 1918.  A zealous Priest and hard worker, friendly to all his memory is still fresh in the minds of all whether they be Catholic or not.  Death came tragically to Father Dekeuwer when one August day of 1931 his horse stumbled and fell near Bueyeros, injuring him so seriously that he died in a few hours.

Father A. Estvelt succeeded Father Lammert.  He later became pastor of St. Anne's Church, Tucumcari.  He was forced to move to a lower altitude on account of ill health and died a few years later in California.

First pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Bueyeros, NM.  Later pastored the parish in Santa Cruz, NM for more than 20 years. Father Haelterman remained in the Bueyeros parish until 1898

 - born August 28, 1842 in Runes, France; ordained June 28, 1865; appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Santa Fe August 21, 1891; consecrated Coadjutor Archbishop of Santa Fe cum jure succesionis November 1, 1891; succeeded to See of Santa Fe January 7, 1894; pallium conferred October 17, 1895; transferred to be Archbishop of New Orleans December 1, 1897; Apostolic Delegate for Puerto Rico & Cuba 1898; Apostolic Delegate for the Philippines 1899; died August 9, 1905 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Known as "Padre Jose", Father Assenmacher, an officer in the first World War, having endured much hardship as a prisoner of war, was ordained to the Priesthood in his native Germany a few years after the war ended and decided to dedicate his life to missionary work in the United States.  Carrying out the orders of his Archbishop, Father Assenmacher faced the difficult and thankless job of transferring his parish headquarters from Bueyeros to Mosquero.  Although the depression was at its worst and the dust storms were impoverishing the state, Father Assenmacher managed to make a worthy parish church out of what had been a public school and built a house in Mosquero.  Parting was difficult for him as well as for his people when he was transferred to Tome in 1931.  He was still there many years later, the same "Father Jose", always glad when a former parishioner came to see him.  Securing a picture of Father Assenmacher was very difficult, so great was his modesty.  This picture shows him at the left with to great friends and fellow countrymen, Fathers William Bickhaus and Father Mueller.  Father Bickhaus, Pastor of Pecos, died after a lengthy illness.

The boundless energy of Father Smith will long be remembered by his parishioners thought his stay at Mosquero was just 2 years and 3 months.  Arriving in April 1939, Father Smith was transferred in July 1941 to establish a new parish at Questa.  He moved to Cristo Rey Church at Santa Fe in 1950.

After Father Smith left, Father Thomas McDonald became administrator of the parish for about a year and was in turn succeeded by Father John Hallinan who was transferred in November 1943, having be at Mosquero for 1 year and 3 months.