Ysleta Mission - The Mission Today

The Mission Today

In 1990 members of the community began efforts to restore and preserve the Ysleta and Socorro missions as well as the Presidio Chapel of San Elizario, Texas. That same year the City and County governments of El Paso formed the Office of Heritage Tourism and received technical support for the project from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the form of a grant. The newly created Office of Heritage Tourism established a board with representatives from various local governments, the Catholic Diocese, and private organizations who had been working separately on projects to restore the missions. Two Mexican architects with expertise in restoring adobe buildings were retained with the help of a grant from the National Park Service and they developed a comprehensive restoration plan which was the basis upon which Bishop Armando Ochoa began a much publicized fund raising effort to pay for the restorations. The two missions and chapel comprise The El Paso Mission Trail, which stretches approximately 9 miles along Socorro Rd. (FM 258) and is considered to be a part of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (The Royal Road to the Interior).

The Tigua people continue to be closely associated with the church and remain loyal to their patron saint, Saint Anthony of Padua. The Tigua feast day of San Antonio is observed on June 13, with a morning mass followed by traditional dancing. Directly adjacent to the church, the Tiguas built a large gaming center called Speaking Rock Casino; however, after a few years the state government of Texas successfully challenged its legality and it was subsequently closed down. It was later reopened but no longer offered casino style gaming. The Tigua Tribal Government offices are located a short distance from the church as is the Tigua Cultural Center.

The church is currently owned by the Catholic Diocese of El Paso and operated by Conventual Franciscans who staff the church. For nearly a century, the church has hosted the Ysleta Mission Festival on the second weekend of July . This three day event is one of El Paso's largest and proceeds from the event help fund the maintenance and preservation of the Ysleta Mission. In the 1960s a newer church building was constructed to accommodate the growing number of parishioners. The old church is now primarily reserved for special occasions such as weddings, quinceañeras, and baptisms.