OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL PARISH

OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL PARISH IN 131 S. Zaragosa, El Paso, TX 79907 The first permanent mission in Texas was the mission established in Ysleta in 1680 by Spanish and Indian settlers fleeing the Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico. The Tigua Indians settled Ysleta which is the oldest town within the present limits of Texas. Ysleta meaning “little island” was named after the original Tigua Pueblo of La Isleta in New Mexico. The first Mass at the Ysleta Mission was celebrated on October 12, 1680. The original church was built of mud-chinked logs and willow reeds. Tigua labor built the permanent mission which was dedicated on October 19, 1682. In 1691, Governor Diego de Vargas gave Ysleta Mission its official name: Corpus Christi de los Tiguas de Ysleta. To the Tiguas, however, who carried the image of their patron saint, San Antonio, with them on the march from New Mexico, the mission church is known as San Antonio de Padua. After flooding destroyed the original building in 1740, a new church was built in 1744 on higher ground.

Image Description: Image of Mt. Carmel Parish church. The building is in Spanish mission style with white adobe and wooden beams emerging out of the left wall. The roof detailing of the façade is curvilinear. The bell tower has an egg-shaped roof with a white cross at the top and mission style curvilinear architectural detailing. There is a statue of St. Anthony placed at the very top of the building’s wooden main doors.

Creator: rudy rivera

Area: Mission Valley / Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

Source: El Paso Museum of History

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History