Ysleta Mission

Established in the 17th century, the Ysleta mission in El Paso's Lower Vally is the oldest functioning church of its kind in the state of Texas.  The mission is located just a hop, jump and a skip away from the U.S.-Mexico border that skirts El Paso's southerly edge and includes several major ports of entry from Ciudad Juarez, which is almost seamlessly connected to create a bi-national metropolis.  The oldest existing mission of what was originally the El Paso Del Norte settlement (now present-day Juarez) is actually a side chapel to the current cathedral in downtown Juarez (Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe), but La Mision de Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur (the official name of the Ysleta mission which you see on the corner of Zaragoza and Alameda streets as you approach the grounds) is the second-oldest on the U.S. side that still functions as an active place of worship and celebration each year (interestingly enough, the Rio Bravo, or the Rio Grande as it is known in the U.S., shifted course several times since then, but now it flows just south of the site).

The church was founded when the Tigua people fled the Isleta settlement of Northern New Mexico (just south of present-day Albuquerque) with Antonio de Otermin, a Spaniard, and Fray Francisco de Ayeta; they founded Ysleta as a Franciscan outpost to Christianize the indigenous of the area since there were other Pueblo tribes (as they were dubbed by the Spanish due to their town-like structures, or pueblos in Spanish, as opposed to the nomadic tribes of the Great Plains who wandered from place to place) already here and all over the Southwest.  To this day, the mission is still interconnected with the modern Tigua descendents who continue to live in the area and are organized as a federally recognized tribe. They brought with them from Northern New Mexico the image of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of the mission and whose likeness is still visible over the front entrance to the mission.

St. Anthony in a niche above the main entrance

The grounds to the east of the mission building

Today there is another parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, that mainly functions as the center of Catholic worship for the people of the vicinity, and until recently there were parochial schools that also used to operate.  The mission is mostly reserved now for special occasions and Conventual Franciscans are now responsible for its operation.  I was able to take photos of the exterior this afternoon, and although the building was closed to visitors, I fortunately had some photos of its interior from a previous visit with my parents.

Facing the alter, looking west

The inside of the mission contains many fixtures and statues common to Catholic churches of the Southwest, especially the older ones.  All of these churches feature depictions of the Stations of the Cross, usually represented as panels that are either painted and framed or carved into various rock or wooden or metal interfaces, and there are often elaborate statues created in the image of a commonly known saint, mostly in a Western European-inspired likeness.
 

Interior of Ysleta Mission

The building has a small plaza out front and is part of a complex that includes the Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish and a hall for social events.  Immediately out in front there is a bell that is preserved from a fire that occurred in 1907 which burned the roof and caused the tower and original facade (front wall of the building that includes the entrance) to collapse.  The restoration was wonderfully done and preserves much of the original look and feel of the place. There is also a gift shop located on the grounds.

Bell saved from the tower that collapsed in fire of 1907

Every year the mission hosts a festival during the summer to raise money as it is the tradition for many Catholic parishes in the area to conduct a bazaar, or kermes in Spanish, which usually comprise of food and drink booths (including alcohol), game booths offering prizes of all sorts, vendors selling various articles of jewelry, toys, clothing, etc. and live entertainment.  I had the pleasure to participate last weekend on both a breezy and fresh Saturday night with a friend as well as during the day Sunday with my roommate.  The event was very crowded Saturday night, with families, couples of all ages and many young people gathered.  Carnival rides were also set up with "carnies" who, from a conversation I overheard between a festival-goer and ride operator, travel the country over like modern-day gypsies.  I rode a Ferris wheel that afforded a great view of the city lights and a cool respite above the bustling crowd.  At such an event you mostly hear Spanish being spoken, and the food is mostly southwestern-inspired Mexican...gorditas, tacos, elotes (corn) on the cob or en vaso (in a cup) seasoned with red chile powder, cheese, butter and salt...but they also had funnelcake and snowcones for a more traditional American summer event fare.

An up-and-close view of the bell tower, which was restored after the fire of 1907

On both days I got to indulge in funnelcake and tacos as well as horchata, a rice drink sweetened with cinnamon, one of several kinds of aguas frescas, or drinks combining water and another freshly-induced ingredient such as rice, watermelon, lime or cantaloupe.  The entertainment Saturday night was a couple of live Tejano-music ensembles that had people dancing under a clear starry night.  Children enjoyed the games, many of which are seemingly rigged to hardly allow for save a lucky winner...I observed a young boy doggedly determined to lift a glass bottle with a small fishing-rod like apparatus and an even smaller ring attached to it, which was pretty amusing.  I vividly recall some teenage boys talking about getting high behind me at some point, young parents gleefully watching their children on the kid-friendly rides (and even some brave kids toughly enduring the wildly fast spinning rides), and an older man I vaguely recognized from my parents' social circle dancing with his wife.   Overall, with the bright flashing lights and music emanating into the night air, as well as the bright sun of day beating down on my roommate and I eating some tasty local food for a good cause, it was a good way to spend the weekend.

Stone altar in parking lot constructed for the Virgin of Guadalupe

Mision de Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur, Founded 1682

Conventual Franciscan Friars
131 South Zaragoza Rd. 

El Paso, Texas 79907
915-859-9848

Credits:

The El Paso Mission Trail

Ysleta Mission

Texas State Historical Association

Scotsdale Baptist Church

Nestled in the established neighborhood surrounding Album Park on El Paso's older east side, the Scotsdale Baptist Church sits serenely on a block between sturdy brick homes and sweeping mulberries as a sort of beacon to the area residents; since I grew up in this neighborhood and spent many nights running around Album Park as a college student, I always marveled at the white steeple that was illuminated and even visible from the other side of the park.  It always gave me a feeling of calm and reassurance although I had never stepped foot inside the building until very recently.  This was my first glimpse inside a Baptist church although I have been inside other Protestant churches for concerts or weddings.

El Paso has a very deep and rich history tied with the Catholic church due to its history as a Spanish settlement that morphed into Mexican and then American soil, but what is often overlooked are the deeply embedded Protestant ties within this city to some charming older churches of many different sects, including Baptist.  Although the church started in 1961 at someone's residence, according to an office worker named Deborah, the building was erected not much later as the neighborhood was just in its genesis at that time.  My parents' house, which is down Wedgewood from Album Street, was built in the early 60s when this area was literally the edge of town.  I had the pleasure to visit this church that lies a few blocks from my own residence and meet some very nice people who were eager to show me around.

From the church office behind the main building I found this very well manicured quad setting with some smaller buildings situated around a gazebo that house classrooms for Sunday school, various rooms for ministries and even a gym for youth recreation.  Larry Barnes, the youth pastor, showed me into the main building for a peek into the sanctuary which was at once quiet and soothing.  The first object that came to my attention was the organ that is used for music worship as well as a sleek grand piano that looked magnificent.  He was nice enough to have the lights turned on for me to take better pictures although, it being a sunny day, there was enough natural light streaming in through the windows to lend a cheerful air to the church, which, with white-painted walls and ceilings, had a bright aspect to it in the first place.  Even the pews are painted white.

One aspect that you can immediately notice about the interior is the lack of ornamental depictions, or icons, that you find in Catholic and liturgical Protestant churches, such as Episcopalian or Lutheran.  The windows were also not garnished with stained glass although some Baptist churches do feature stained glass.  Baptists trace their origin to the 17th century when, like the English Separatists who broke away from the Puritans who tried to reform the Anglican Church of England, a pastor named John Smyth started a new church of his own in exile in Amsterdam.  Roger Williams and John Clarke brought the Baptist church to the New World.  Their churches tend to be pristine and simple in their design, much like the early Puritan churches of New England.

I was able to go up into the loft where Mr. Barnes informed me that the sound and projection crew works since the choir is seated behind the pulpit at the very front of the congregation.  It was a very clean and sharp view of the sanctuary, and you can imagine what a service full of people must be like with the organ or piano playing and filling the room with great acoustics.  A large screen hanging on the back wall would be able to provide the lyrics to a song or highlight important points of the pastor's sermon for even members sitting at the very back.

The front of the building, the facade, is what has always fascinated me...although it's not too imposing a structure that fits very modestly into the neighborhood, unlike the towering cathedrals of the Middle Ages that dwarfed their towns and villages, the slightly revivalist Greek architectural appearance is made apparent by the columns supporting a pediment with an arched bull's eye window.

The church recently celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and memories of various members from all over the country who once had worshiped there were collected and encased in a single book, of which I received a copy.  People shared their fond memories of once gracing the pews and listening to music and messages enshrined within the walls of a very elegant building in its own right.  Many of these people who moved far and away came back to celebrate the anniversary.  One woman wrote of a difficult time when her husband was sick and eventually died..."Each time we brought him home from the hospital, we were gifted with food, phone calls, cards and lots of love...I couldn't help but shed tears of joy for all the care and concern given me and my family.  Talk about Christian love--it was poured out to full and overflowing, time and time again!! And this love continues!!"

Thanks to Deborah and Larry Barnes for granting me access to the sanctuary and some indelible memories.

Scotsdale Baptist Church
10015 Lockerbie Avenue
El Paso, Texas 79925
915-595-2811

Credits:


Baptists-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2011 Scotsdale Baptist Church Golden Anniversary Collection of Memories, retrieved July 5, 2012

A Look at Memorial Park

One of the best things about El Paso is its unique topography.  Rolling hills trickling down to wide open valleys mark much of the terrain here from both sides of the Franklin mountains.  Nestled in the eastern foothills of the lower Franklin mountains is a gem of a park that was created almost a century ago in a neighborhood that used to be a copper mine.  Mining was a huge way of life in the El Paso area through the first half of the 20th century, and the Manhattan Heights historic district of the city, in which the park is located, was no exception to this...

Walking trail ascending north from lower slopes of park

The park today boasts an indoor swimming pool, a branch of the El Paso Public Library system, tennis courts, playground areas and trails...although drinking alcohol is not allowed at El Paso city parks, this wasn't always the case.  Until May 1979, park visitors could imbibe freely, and Sundays were a popular day to hang out and drink beer according to area resident Mrs. Dr. Schuessler.  Heavily involved with civic duty since moving to El Paso with her husband during World War II, she gave an interview with the El Paso Times about a drinking ban that was put into law for all city parks except those located on the South Side (though this was later applied to all city parks without exception) after East Side representative E.W. "Joe" Divis proposed a law that was passed by city council after concerns were raised by residents such as Mrs. Schuessler; there were concerns that people drinking at the park became too rowdy, and often the police were called in on Sundays and brought police dogs in tow to break up the ruckus.

She also talked about how the site of the park used to be a federally operated copper mine, which explains some of the surrounding street names such as Gold, Silver, Copper and Federal.  Since copper prices kept falling and other mines in the area brought stiff competition that rendered the Federal Copper Company to be a failure, it was sold in the early 1910s to create a new residential subdivision that today features historic homes, many of which are still gorgeous and well preserved.

 

North side of the park along Copper Avenue facing west

The park was designed to contain at least thirty different varieties of trees and plants, including Mountain Cottonwood, Arizona Ash, New Willow, Black Locust, oleanders, Crimson Fountain Grass and some flowers such as petunias and zinnias.  The best part of Memorial Park, in my opinion, is the panoramic views you can enjoy from the north end of the Loretto neighborhood, south El Paso and Juarez as well as downtown and the nearby Franklin mountain range that marks the lower end of the Rocky Mountain range in North America.  It's almost completely perfect for picnics, cookouts or just a romantic stroll with your sweetheart.

View of downtown El Paso from a hilltop

A notable feature of the park is a granite monument situated on the northeast corner across from the library at the intersection of Copper Avenue and Grant Avenue that skirts the southern perimeter until it sharply curves north.  Originally used as part of a drilling contest in 1905 by the American Mining Congress, the stone was made into a commemorative piece for El Paso soldiers slain during World War I.  It had two previous sites before being permanently installed at the park and survived several bouts of vandalism until it found its "final resting place."

Facing east from the northern section of the park

I have had the pleasure of coming to this park to swim, play tennis, hang out and eat...it's a great place to spend time with friends or a lover.  You can walk around at a comfortable pace with a friend, hike up and down the hills for a bit more vigorous trek or just find a table to enjoy an impromptu picnic.  Day or night, this park promises to recharge your batteries and give a pleasant respite from the day-to-day rat race of modern life.

Click here for a map to the park.

Credits:

"Neighborhood leader thinks city more impersonal" by Sam Rennick (El Paso Times, January 1, 1980)

"Stone Used in 1905 Drilling Contest Now Memorial to World War I Dead" (El Paso Times, May 29, 1955)

Texas Historical Marker - Memorial Park 

Memorial Park (El Paso Vertical File, Border Heritage Center of the El Paso Public Library retrieved July 1, 2012)