San Miguel History

Most documentation on the early churches were recorded by the Franciscan friars, with a fairly detailed report by Bishop Benavidez in 1626 being an excellent reference. Most other documents were often sketchy with period of years between reports, such that the early history of most mission churches, including San Miguel, is well known in places and assumed in others.

The following is the assumed San Miguel Church timeline based on known documentation, assumed history, and church traditions.

1598 Juan de Oñate arrives at Teypana pueblo; people rename it to

Socorro for the help and assistance received. This was the first

Socorro. Today's Socorro was the Pilabó pueblo, though not

           visited by Onate during the Entrada.
1600s Franciscan friars, most from Isleta pueblo, visited the Piro pueblos
           periodically for the Christianization effort and conducting mass.
1615   Congregation formed. According to church history, the first priest

was assigned to Pilabó (Socorro) to serve the Piro. However, there

is no documentation or evidence that a mission church or convento

was built until the mid-1620s. If a priest was at Pilabó 1615-1626,

he lived and ministered in existing pueblo quarters.

1620 Reducción, the Spanish resettlement program, consolidated the

native population into fewer pueblos for better control; selected

Sevilleta (La Joya), Pilabó (Socorro) and Senecú (San Marcial) as

the mission pueblos of the Piro nation. All other pueblos were

ordered abandoned; people from Teypana relocated to Pilabó,

bringing the name Socorro with them. Construction of the

mission in Pilabo (today's Socorro) likely began around this time.

1626 Bishop Alonso de Benevidez returns to Mexico City along El

Camino Real enroute to Spain. Dedicated the mission while in

Socorro, naming it Nuestra Señora del Socorro (Our Lady of

Perpetual Help). It is assumed the Socorro mission's construction

was fairly underway, if not completed, when dedicated in 1626.

1630-80 Pueblo of Socorro (Pilabó) and the church continued to grow.

1680 The Pueblo Revolt forced the Spaniards out of New Mexico,

retreating south to El Paso on the Rio Grande. The Piros fled with

the Spaniards leaving Socorro and the church abandoned.

1692 Don Diego de Vargas reoccupies New Mexico, camping the

night in Socorro and described the pueblo and church as "in ruins."

1760 Bishop Tamarón arrives New Mexico, camps on hill opposite

Socorro. Records he could see the old orchards of Socorro and

ruins of the mission.

Settlement between Belen and Doña Ana was prohibited after the Pueblo Revolt as Spain could not protect the region, called Apacheria, from

Indian attacks. Socorro remained abandoned until resettlement in 1800.

1800 Resettlement of Socorro approved; first families arrived

1800-1806 to settle and rebuild the town. Rebuilding the old

ruined church began during this time -- exact date unknown.

San Miguel Church. Tradition states early townspeople took refuge in

the church during an Apache raid. An apparition of archangel Michael weilding a sword protected the people and drove off the attacking Indians. The Nuestra Señora del Socorro church was renamed San Miguel in

honor of Saint Michael's protection of the church.

1851 San Miguel visited by Bishop Lamy enroute to Santa Fe.

1864 Fr. Benedict Bernard welcomes Bishop Lamy to San Miguel

parish.

1869 Renovation added the two bell towers (per church history).

NOTE: the diary sketch of the church by Confederate soldier Pvt.

A. B. Peticolas clearly shows the "French style" bell towers were

extant in 1862.

1870s The pitched roof and the front stained glass window were added.

1879 Sisters of Loretto arrived to build a parish school building, which

served Socorro until 1970. The north side chapel was added and

other renovations were performed about this time.

1880s Today's facade was added, bell towers replaced with the territorial

style, followed by further renovations to the church.

1973 Extensive renovation to San Miguel interior with new woodwork

and vigas, spiral stair case to choir loft and strengthening adobe

walls. Evidence of original church found by archaeolists, including

original mission wall, foundations, burned vigas when church was

burned in 1680, and skeletons and graves under floor boards.

2003 Courtyard built in front of church to honor the many parishoners

buriedin the ancient camposanto; grave markers and cross added

later.

2010 Church closed. Structural problems (mostly within the adobe

load bearing walls, roof, and bell towers) close the church

pending major repairs; services moved to Parish Hall. Extensive

repairs, renovation, and preservation of the historic integrity of

the church continued until 2015 under direction of parish priest,

Fr. Andrew Pavlik.

2015 San Miguel Church reopens and rededicated after five years

of extensiverepairs, and just in time for . . .

2015 400th Anniversary of the Socorro mission church with the

original congregation formed in 1615 and the original Nuestra

Señora del Socorro mission church built shortly after that,

dedicated in 1626.

Mission Church History
History articles by Paul Harden on the mission churches under the Socorro Parish and related church history.

Mission Churches Part 1 - Socorro Mission, Santa Rita

church (Riley), and Our Lady of Fatima church (Florida)

Mission Churches Part 2 - San Acacia, La Joyita, Alamillo,

Polvadera, Lemitar, Sabino, La Parida, El Tajo,

Bosquecito, Luis Lopez, San Antonio, San Antonito,

San Marcial, La Plaza Vieja, Magdalena, Kelly

Legend of the Blue Nun - the mystical appearance of a

Franciscan nun in the 1600s - including in Socorro.

Las Posadas y Las Pastorela - History of these old Spanish

traditional pagents to tell the Christmas story.

Lemitar y La Sagrada Church - the history of Lemitar and the

building of the La Sagrada Family Church.

Polvadera y Chamisal - the history of Polvara and Chamisal,

and the San Lorenzo church.