San Miguel de Socorro

Catholic church in Socorro, NM, built on the ruins of the old Nuestra Señora de Socorro mission. The old mission was built around 1626, but was destroyed in 1680 during the Pueblo Revolt. [Marshal, Michael P. & Walt, Henry J., “Rio Abajo: Prehistory and History of a Rio Grande Province” (Santa Fe: New Mexico Historical Preservation Program, 1984), p 248-249] A portion of the adobe wall of the old church remains today and still can be seen behind glass just left of the altar.

San Miguel is administered by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

History and Legend

According to the San Miguel website, it is the oldest Catholic church in the United States founded in 1598. [ “San Miguel Catholic Church” http://www.sdc.org/~smiguel/] Although the village of Socorro was founded at this time, and the Nuestra Senora de Socorro was built in the 1600s, San Miguel itself was not built until the 19th century. [Marshal & Walt “Rio Abajo“ p 248-249] The construction of the church was most likely completed by 1821 when the first church baptisms, burials and marriages were recorded. [Conron, John P. “Socorro: A Historic Survey” (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1980.), p. 7]

Local legend has it that during an Apache raid, an angel appeared and scared off the invaders. Parishioners thus decided to name the church after St. Michael, the archangel who supposedly saved the village. [ “San Miguel Catholic Church: History” http://www.sdc.org/~smiguel/about.htm]

The last (pre-American occupation) governor of New Mexico, Manuel Armijo is supposedly buried at the church. [ Ramirez Alief, Teresa, et al., eds. “New Mexico Census of 1833 and 1845: Socorro and Surrounding Communities of the Rio Abajo.” (Albuquerque: New Mexico Genealogical Society, Inc., 1994.) p.xiii.]

Footnotes