Guardian Angel Church on Frutas

3021 Frutas Avenue El Paso, Texas 79905 915-533-2077; Fax: 915-533-3649 [email protected] "Guardian Angel Parish" "El Paso - 1908" "Guardian Angel Church in El Paso Texas was built in 1908 on what was then considered the northern slopes of El Paso. The cornerstone was blessed on October 7, 1907 and the new church blessed on June 7, 1908 with the first Mass and first marriage performed by Father Carlos Pinto, S.J. The first baby baptized was Magdalena Velásquez, the daughter of Fernando Velásquez and Maria Gonzales on the same day of the dedication of the church. The first wedding occurred a few days later on June 10 between Mary W. Dunne and Sylvester W. McConangy. The first pastor after Father Pinto was Father A. Gilbert, S.J. who made several improvements such as the addition of the choir loft. In 1912, Guardian Angel School opened under Rev. Aloysius Blanchard with the Sisters of Loretto as the faculty. Originally called Holy Angels School, the name was changed to match the parish when a new school building was completed in 1919." "In the beginning, the church was mainly attended by English-speaking Catholics. After 1915, however, as Mexican refugees began arriving in the city as a result of the Mexican Revolution, the church increasingly became a Spanish-speaking community. In February 1918, Guardian Angel was turned over to the Mexican Jesuits. Guardian Angel also administered several missions throughout its history including Our Lady of Guadalupe, San Juan Bautista, St. Francis Xavier, Nuestra Señora de la Luz, and El Calvario, all of which eventually became parishes..." To read the rest of the article, visit the following link: http://elpasodiocese.org/diocese/index.php/guardian-angel

Creator: Lotte Kryger Bro

Area: Central / Chamizal

Collection: Neighborhood photos

Source: EPMH

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History