All Souls Day

The Catholic Mass of All Souls Day offers those who believe a chance to pray for the souls of departed friends and family members. The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter of El Paso held such a mass yesterday at the Sorroco Mission, a historic building on the Mission Trail.

Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Socorro was founded in 1682 by the Franciscan order, serving individuals from the Piro, Tano, and Jemez tribes who left what is now New Mexico during the Pueblo Revolt. In 1829 the mission was destroyed when the Rio Grande river flooded. It was rebuilt just a few years later, preserving much of the building traditions of 17th-century Spanish architecture.

Following the mass, churchgoers processed to the cemetery to conclude the ceremony. Holding candles and chanting in English, Latin, and Spanish the moment was a somber reflection on how we honor the dead.

Socorro, Texas. November 2018.

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