History of the La Union Community Center

To date, we have not found concrete evidence regarding the period in which the Mission Church was built. According to some people, it was built in 1886. This is speculative and we are actively seeking answers through ongoing research. As one well knows, this is a lengthy and ongoing process.

Below is a photo we found that shows when the construction started. The building served as a church for the La Union community. Our families worshipped there for generations. The mission church served a Hispanic culture and was a key site for many celebrations in La Union. Therefore, maintaining our cultural heritage is important for future generations by recognizing and respecting our historical roots.

The La Union Community Center, formerly our first mission church was built in the shape of a cross. This is known as the cruciform layout. This layout was a common design for Spanish missionaries when they built churches in New Mexico.

The cruciform layout has much religious significance as the cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus. The layout serves as a physical representation of this religious symbol. With the cruciform layout, the nave or central section of the church provided a spacious area for the worshipers. At the top part of the nave, was the Altar, the most sacred part of the church and surrounding it was the Sanctuary for the priest during mass. The transept or sides of the church that form the cross housed the choir on the left and the confessional and sacristy to the right. The ceiling was made of tin ceiling tiles and there were at least four small high windows on each side. One was in the sacristy and one where the choir sang. It had spaces for saint statues. There were wooden stations of the cross.  The outside of the mission had a white rock wall with arches

When the building was a mission church, it was the center of our lives, as we performed most of our sacraments there including baptisms, confirmations, holy communion, confessions, marriages, and funeral masses.

The original church was named Our Lady of Refuge, Nuestra Senora del Refugio after our patron saint.  The building was used for religious activities and served nearly 96 percent of the Hispanic/Latino community in La Union. This Hispanic demographic was prevalent in the area due to its closeness to Mexico and its history with the southwest part of the United States. 

Some rituals associated with the building of missions, including ours are 1) before building a structure or after finishing it, a priest will bless the building or site to consecrate it. 2) groundbreaking ceremony among residents and religious leaders. They usually have a ceremony to mark the beginning of construction, 3) Community gatherings, people work together on the missions to foster community. All these actions help create community, spirituality, and cultural traditions during the construction of missions in the southwest.

Initially, the property where the mission church lies belonged to the Catholic Diocese of El Paso. It was then transferred to the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, Our Lady of Refuge Mission, and then to the Townsite of La Union in 2002 with the condition that the building would benefit the community and public of the Townsite of La Union.

Neighborhood homes surrounding the La Union Community Center are all historic and constructed between 1860 and 1909. Near the community center is La Union Elementary School and a historic Mercantile Store established in 1909. Our agricultural landscape includes cotton, chile, hay, and pecan orchards.

Neighborhood homes adjacent to the first mission church and their construction date.

Home Address	Year Built
1053 Mercantile, green house	1860
1063 Mercantile, pool hall. being used as a home, still has wording on it	1866
140 La Union Street	1935
116 La Union Street	1930
2745 Alvarez	1890
2774 Alvarez	1910
2715 Alvarez	1900
1025 Mercantile	1919
1090 Mercantile – Mercantile Store	1909