SANTA TERESA DE JESUS-PRESIDIO-EST. 1916

P.O. Box 2049, 1101 W. O’Reilly
Presidio, Texas 79845
Phone: 432-229-3235   
Fax: 432-229-3953
Email: fatherpresidio@yahoo.com
Santa Teresa de Jesús Parish-Presidio – 1916

 The origins of the parish of Santa Teresa de Jesús are in the missions founded in 1683 and 1684 in La Junta by the Spanish under the leadership of Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Father Nicholas López, O.F.M.  La Junta de los Rio del Norte y Conchos is located where the Rio Conchos River empties into the Rio Grande.  Although the Franciscans conducted a missionary trip to the Jumano Indians of La Junta in 1631, missionary efforts on a sustained basis did not occur until 1683 as a response to the Pueblo Revolt in northern New Mexico.  In that year, a delegation of Christianized Jumanos, led by Juan Sabeata, traveled to Ysleta to request that missionaries be sent to La Junta and a mission church be established.  The Jumanos claimed that they had received inspiration to make the journey from a visitation from the Lady in Blue, reportedly María of Agreda, a Catholic nun living in Spain. 

The Friars Nicolás López, Antonio Acevedo and Juan Zavaleta accompanied the Jumanos in late 1683 from Parral to La Junta and on Christmas day celebrated Mass for the Native Americans.  Although the Franciscans established six missions in the area, they were abandoned in 1684 when most of the Indians in northern Chihuahua revolted.  The Native Americans at La Junta, however, remained loyal and warned the Spanish which enabled them to flee to San José del Parral.  In 1716, missionary work resumed in La Junta when the Viceroy of Mexico sent Franciscan friars who founded five missions.  But once again, the missions had to be abandoned a few years later when all the inhabitants fled after non-Christian Indians plotted to kill the priests.  Finally in 1759, a permanent presidio was established which enabled settlement to grow in the area.   

By the time of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 ending the war between Mexico and the United States, few families lived on the north side of river as they were vulnerable to Apache and Comanche raids.  Three Americans, Spencer, Leaton and Burgess, arrived in the area with the American army.  They purchased land, married into Mexican families, and established large ranches.  The Spencer and Burgess Ranches and Fort Leaton became the basis of the town of Presidio.  From 1849 to 1879, Ojinaga, then known as Presidio del Norte, was blessed with two long-serving priests at the parish of Jesús Nazareno who often crossed into the United States to serve Catholics in Presidio and the Big Bend area in the absence of American priests.  Fray Antonio de Refugio Gomez was pastor from 1841 to 1855 followed by Father Nemesio García until 1879.  The church of Santa Teresa de Jesús was founded in 1870 by Carmelite Father Joseph Hoban who also founded the missions in Redford (then known as El Polvo) and Ruidosa.  Monsignor Lourdes F. Costa built the present church after 1912 and Santa Teresa de Jesús became a parish in 1916.  In 2009, the parish community completed the restoration of the sanctuary under Rev. Fabian Marquez.