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Socorro is a small city in Texas on the banks of the Rio Grande, just southeast of El Paso. It’s also a stop on the El Paso Mission Trail.
History
Socorro was founded in 1680 by Manso and Piro puebloans fleeing New Mexico during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. It took its name from the town of Socorro, New Mexico, near where the Piros had originated.
Socorro Mission
The Socorro Mission, officially named Our Lady of the Conception of Socorro (Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Socorro), was founded in 1682 by Spanish governor Antonio de Otermín and Friar Francisco de Ayeta. The first church was built out of cottonwood branches until a permanent structure was built in 1691. It served the Manso and Piro people as well as displaced Spaniards.
By 1766, the mission was referred to as the Immaculate Conception (La Purísima Concepción). The present church was built in 1843 to replace an older 18th century building destroyed by flooding that lasted from 1829 to 1840. It’s built of adobe covered with stucco and sits about a half mile to the west of its original location.
The Jesuits took over administration of the church in 1882 and served until July 1, 1979, when it was transferred to the Diocese of El Paso. A major restoration project started in 2000, returning the church to its original appearance.
The church is open to the public daily from Monday through Friday. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1972, and became a Texas State Landmark on December 18, 1992. The historical markers sit just outside the church.
Interior
The interior of the church has a stunning ceiling using decorated vigas (wooden beams). They’re original to the 18th century mission and were retrieved from the receding flood waters of the Rio Grande to be reused in this church.
To the left of the altar is a statue of Saint Michael. Legend has it that in 1838, the statue was being transported from Mexico City to Santa Fe by oxcart. The cart got stuck in the mud, and the parishioners of the church took it as a sign that Saint Michael wanted the mission to be his home. The statue has been there ever since.
