in the 915 and beyond!: 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.