About San Elceario (historic mission) · San Elizario, Texas
San Elceario Parish, also known as the San Elizario Mission or Presidio Chapel of San Elizario, is one of the three oldest continuously active Catholic missions in the United States and the heart of the historic Mission Valley town of San Elizario, Texas. Founded by the Spanish in 1789 as a military presidio, it is now a Catholic parish of the Diocese of El Paso served by Rev. Juan Victor Gamino Trejo, M.N.M. The current adobe chapel on the town plaza dates to 1877, was rebuilt after a 1935 fire, and is a Texas Historic Site listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
- Established
- 1845
- Patron
- Saint Elzear (San Elcear / San Elzeario)
- Rector
- Rev. Juan Victor Gamino Trejo, M.N.M.
- Diocese
- Diocese of El Paso
Why belong here
San Elceario is a living mission where Mass is still celebrated in the same plaza chapel that has anchored the community for nearly 250 years. Parishioners can pray in English and Spanish, join a long list of active ministries — Legion of Mary, Guadalupanas, Eucharistic Ministry, Lector Ministry, Music Ministry, Prayer Group, Pastoral Families, and Singles Ministry — and enroll children and adults in faith formation, First Communion, Confirmation, baptism, marriage, and quinceañera preparation. The parish also honors local veterans with an interior shrine and serves as a heritage tourism site on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
Mass times at San Elceario (historic mission)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursdays at 5:00 pm
History of San Elceario Parish
San Elceario traces its origins to 1581, when three Franciscans led by Friar Agustin Rodriguez reached the San Elizario area to evangelize the Manso people. In 1598 Don Juan de Oñate's caravan of 500 colonists and thousands of livestock crossed the Rio Grande here and celebrated the first Thanksgiving in what is now the United States. The Spanish military presidio of San Elceario was established on the site in 1788–1789, and by 1793 the first adobe chapel stood on the present plaza. Floods destroyed the chapel in 1829; replacements followed, and the current one-story adobe mission chapel, built between 1877 and 1882, anchors the town plaza. U.S. troops took over the presidio in 1850; the Sisters of Loretto arrived in 1879 and founded St. Joseph Academy, the area's first Catholic school.
- 1581 – Franciscans reach the San Elizario area
- April 30, 1598 – Oñate expedition celebrates first Thanksgiving on the Rio Grande
- 1773 – Presidio moved to Valle de San Elceario from Guajoquilla
- 1789 – San Elizario Presidio established at current site
- c. 1793 – First chapel, Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Glorioso San José, built
- 1829 – Chapel destroyed by Rio Grande flood
- c. 1840–1841 – Replacement chapel built
- 1845 – Parish officially established (per diocese records)
- 1877–1882 – Current chapel constructed
- 1879 – Sisters of Loretto open St. Joseph Academy
- 1892 – Academy moved to El Paso
- 1935 – Fire damages interior; rebuilt
- 1972 – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Architecture and the Mission Chapel
The present Presidio Chapel of San Elizario is a one-story Spanish Mission style building constructed of adobe between 1877 and 1882. Its design follows early Southwest mission architecture: thick adobe walls, buttresses, a flat viga (wooden beam) roof, and tall narrow arched windows that draw the eye to a central altar. The triangular espadaña (bell tower) above the façade was added in the early 20th century as part of a Spanish Colonial Revival update, giving the chapel its iconic four bells and curved silhouette on the West Texas horizon. After a 1935 fire gutted the interior, the walls were preserved and the inside rebuilt. The chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
- 1877–1882 construction
- Adobe walls, buttresses, viga-beam roof
- Tall narrow arched windows
- Espadaña bell tower with four bells (early 20th-c. addition)
- Rebuilt interior after 1935 fire
- National Register of Historic Places (1972)
Faith Formation and Sacraments
The parish's religious education program prepares parishioners for the sacraments of Christian initiation, marriage, and quinceañera. Programs include First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Adult Faith Formation, along with preparation for baptism, marriage, and quinceañeras.
- First Holy Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Adult Faith Formation
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Quinceañeras
Parish Ministries and Organizations
San Elceario Parish sustains a long roster of lay-led ministries serving its bilingual congregation. These groups animate the liturgy, support families, and reach out to the wider Mission Valley community.
- Prayer Group
- Eucharistic Ministry (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion)
- Ministry of Lectors
- Music Ministry
- Legion of Mary
- Pastoral Families
- Guadalupanas
- Singles Ministry
Patron Saint — Saint Elzear (San Elcear)
The mission takes its name from Saint Elzear (Elzéar) of Sabran, Count of Ariano, a 13th-century Provençal nobleman, tertiary of the Franciscan Order, diplomat and military leader. Canonized in 1369 by his godson Pope Urban V, he is honored as a patron saint of soldiers — fitting for a mission that began as a Spanish military presidio on the frontier of New Spain. His liturgical feast is celebrated on September 27.
- Born 1285 in Provence, France
- Died September 27, 1323, in Paris
- Canonized April 15, 1369, by Pope Urban V
- Patron of soldiers; Franciscan tertiary
- Feast day: September 27
Veterans Shrine and Memorial
Inside the chapel, the parish maintains a shrine to the Blessed Mother filled with plaques bearing the names of local men and women who served in the U.S. military. The back wall of the church carries a list of those who died in service to their country, making San Elceario a place of pilgrimage for veterans and their families in the Mission Valley.
- Shrine to the Blessed Mother with veteran name plaques
- Memorial list of area servicemen and women who died in service
Visiting the Mission
The Presidio Chapel of San Elizario is open to the public and to tourists Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 11:00 am according to the National Park Service, and the parish welcomes daily visitors to the plaza. The mission also serves as the site of the town of San Elizario's annual summer festival, drawing both parishioners and visitors from across El Paso and southern New Mexico.
- Public visiting hours Mon–Fri, 7:00 am – 11:00 am
- Tours via Los Portales Museum and Information Center (915-851-1682)
- Wheelchair accessible
- Annual summer festival of San Elizario held on the plaza