Mission Socorro

Mission Nuestra Senora da la Limpia Concepcion del Socorro was established in 1682. From that point forward, the mission would undergo a series of relocations, moving to five different places in the El Paso area over the years. The first mission was occupied only from 1682 until 1684, when it had to relocate for protection due to the Manso uprising. The second mission was known as the Old Socorro Mission. It was occupied from 1684 until about 1740. The third mission was occupied from 1740 to 1795, when the fourth mission was constructed. The locations of the first four missions are not known. In 1829 a devastating flood changed the course of the Rio Grande, destroying both the fourth mission and the nearby Socorro Pueblo. The present Socorro mission was completed in 1843 and reused the roof support beams and furnishings of the previous mission. While in this church we were told a story about they acquired their statue of Saint Michael. The statue was made of cork in Mexico and weighed only 110lbs. It was originally made for the Socorro mission in New Mexico. The men transporting the statue stopped at the Socorro mission in El Paso and asked for lodging for the night. They moved the statue into the chapel for safe keeping. The next morning when they went to load up the statue the men found it too heavy to move. They enlisted the help of ten men and still could not move the statue. After many failed attempts it was decided the the statue was meant for this Socorro mission and not the one in New Mexico. The gentleman telling the story went on to tell us that the Saint Michael statue had a habit of moving around the church until it was given its own alcove to the left of the pulpit. He also told us a few ghost stories of hearing people praying or singing in the church when no one was there. It is a beautiful old mission, I can see why spirits would want to stay.