Old San Miguel Mission - Socorro, New Mexico - Four Hundred Years of Catholic Service

Founded 1598, the Old San Miguel Mission in Socorro ranks among the oldest Catholic churches in the United States. Two Franciscan priests arrived here in May that year with Spanish explorers led by Don Juan de Onate. They stayed in the area to conduct missionary work among the local Indians.

One of the priests, Father Alfonso Benavidez, named the village "Nuestra Senora de Perpetuo Socorro,'' which means "Our Lady of Perpetual Help.'' The town later became known simply as Socorro.

San Miguel Mission was a modest little church at first, replaced by the present, larger building between 1615 and 1626. The mission features massive adobe walls, huge carved wooden vigas, and supporting corbel-arches. To guard against attacks from unfriendly Navajo tribes, the walls were made five feet wide and the windows placed high.

Today, the Old San Miguel Mission still serves a vibrant parish, striving to bring people closer to God. It is part of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and carries out its activities in unity with the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

The Old San Miguel Mission is located at 403 El Camino Real, Socorro, New Mexico 87801. The weekly calendar includes the Liturgy of the Hours weekdays at 7am, Communion Service on Thursdays at 5:30pm, Eucharistic Devotion at noon on Fridays, Confession on Saturday afternoons or by appointment, daily masses, special Saturday masses, and a Sunday mass in Spanish and English.