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The El Paso Mission Trail takes you to three different Spanish mission churches. One is in El Paso proper, while the other two are in small towns nearby.
Introduction to the El Paso Mission Trail
The El Paso Mission Trail is a 9-mile corridor connecting two of the oldest continuously operated missions in the United States as well as a historic presidio. Check the official website for more info.
Ysleta Mission
The Ysleta Mission is the oldest Spanish mission church in the state of Texas. It’s located within the city limits of El Paso in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. The mission is open to the public daily except Sundays and holidays.
The Ysleta Mission was founded in 1680 by Spanish governor Antonio de Otermín and Friar Francisco de Ayeta (c. 1640-c. 1690). The first church was built out of logs and reeds by Tiwa puebloans who had escaped New Mexico during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
Two years later, they built an adobe church that was dedicated as the Mission of St. Anthony of Ysleta del Sur (La Misión de Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur).
In the 1740s, 1829, and the mid-1850s, the church was damaged or destroyed by flooding from the Rio Grande. The building was renovated or rebuilt each time, as well as after a fire in 1907.
The Mission under French Priests
In 1848, the Ysleta Mission was transferred from Mexico to the United States after the border between the two countries was defined. After this, the Franciscan friars left the mission and French priests under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe took over, serving until 1881. They rededicated it as the Mission of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Misión Nuestra Senora del Carmen).
The Mission under the Jesuits
Jesuits from Mexico City took over the church in 1881, running it until 1990. In 1918, they established a school run by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary until 1921, and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word from 1921 until it closed in 2005. Lay teachers joined the sisters in the 1980s.
During their time, the Jesuits also established smaller mission churches that have since become separate parishes. On July 31, 1972, the Ysleta Mission was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mission under Conventual Franciscans
Conventual Franciscans from Indiana have administered the Ysleta Mission since 1992. The Tiwa people still identify with the church, and celebrate several feast days throughout the year. The most important is the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua on June 13.
Socorro Mission
The Socorro Mission is in the city of Socorro, which 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. The church is open to the public daily.
The 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. It replaced 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. 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.
Nave of the Socorro Mission
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.
Statue of Archangel Michael
To the left of the altar is a statue of Archangel 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 Michael wanted the mission to be his home. The statue has been there ever since.
Presidio Chapel of San Elizario
Although it was never a mission, the Presidio Chapel of San Elizario (La Capilla de San Elzéar) is the third and final stop on the El Paso Mission Trail. It’s located in the town of San Elizario. It served as a chapel for members of the military and their families living at Presidio de San Elzeario. It’s open to the public Monday through Friday and for Mass on Saturday and Sunday.
The original chapel, dating back to 1789, fell into disrepair after Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. It was destroyed by flooding in 1829 and was in ruins by 1848. The chapel was reconstructed as a small church in 1853.
By the 1870s, that church proved to be inadequate. The current structure was built between 1877 and 1882 with the bell tower added later. It has plastered adobe walls.
