Churches along the Southern Río Grande

After a brief survey of the historic churches in Tomé, Socorro, and surrounding areas, the chapter focuses on Our Lady of Purification (Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria) in Doña Ana. The emphasis is on the restoration of the church in the 1990s, and on the training program for at-risk youth that provided restoration workers. Attitudes toward adobe restoration among local parishioners are also treated. As this tour continues southward it encompasses, among other churches, San José in La Mesa, where depopulation combined with Mexican immigration has changed the nature of the congregation. The Mission Trail in El Paso is also briefly mentioned. Visiting information is integrated throughout the chapter.