In this gallery, along with some of our beautiful churches, you’ll view centuries old missions that were founded as far back as 1682.  They continue to thrive and have active congregations. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon is visiting the Mission Trail, in El Paso’s lower valley.  You can tour the missions of Ysleta, Socorro and San Elizario.

When my family moved to El Paso from Chicago, Mom bought a little house in Ysleta.  I attended school at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which is located on the property of the Ysleta Mission.  The mission was the center of everything we did in school and as children. We felt comfortable playing kick-ball off the side of the old mission and sometimes we would hide inside under the large wooden pews. However, the nuns would always find us and “shush” us back outside.