HISTORY OF PADRE PINTO

They call him the “Apostle of El Paso.”  The Rev. Carlos M. Pinto, S.J., a native of Salerno, Italy, arrived on the border in 1892 at a time when El Paso was trying to shed its “Sin City” image and take its place among the growing communities of the West.
 

There were signs of progress everywhere. The coming of the railroad in 1881 had awakened the dusty border town. Banks and businesses were being established. Public schools were under construction. 

But there were no Roman Catholic churches in the city, except for St. Mary’s chapel. The faithful had to attend Mass in neighboring Juárez, Mexico, across the often capricious Rio Grande, or take a long buggy ride to the missions of the Lower Valley.  Fr. Pinto had his work cut out for him! 

Arriving in El Paso on May 11, 1892, the the 51 year old Jesuit soon determined that the bonds of faith between the English-speaking Catholics and the Spanish-speaking Catholics were not strong enough to fuse into one. He set about establishing two churches to meet the language, culture, and customs needs of each, but first a school was needed. Acting with a missionary’s zeal and a special sense of urgency he founded Sacred Heart School in South El Paso, completing it by October on 1892, staffed with Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross.
 

Fr. Pinto purchased land for the new English-speaking church at Campbell and Myrtle and land on the 600 block of S. Oregon St. for the church for the Spanish speaking, next to the school.
 

Both contracts were awarded on July 25, 1982. Cornerstones were laid in 1892 and both churches were completed in 1893. Sacred Heart was dedicated on June 9, 1893 and Immaculate Conception was dedicated on June 11, 1893. With two churches and a school already constructed, most men would have rested on their laurels. But not Ft Pinto!  Working tirelessly, meeting with Catholic leaders, builders and the movers and shakers of his day, Fr. Pinto went on to build other churches and schools.

CHURCHES BUILT BY FR. PINTO:

-  Sacred Heart, 1893

-  Immaculate Conception, 1893

-  St. Ignatius, 1905

-  Guardian Angel, 1908

-  Sagrado Corazón (Ciudad Júarez), 1910

-  Holy Family, 1914

SCHOOLS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF FR. PINTO:

-  St. Joseph Academy (moved from San Elizario to El Paso in 1892)

-  Sacred Heart School, 1892 (Sacred Heart’s Parochial School)

-  Immaculate Conception, 1898 (on N. Oregon St.)

-  St. Mary, 1903 (Immaculate Conception’s Parochial School)

-  St. Ignatius, 1905 (St. Ignatius’ Parochial School)

-  Guardian Angel, 1912 (Guardian Angels Parochial School)

OTHER CHURCHES BUILT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF FR. PINTO:

-  Santa Rosalia y San José del Río, 1982 (also known as San José del Río en Smeltertown)

-  San Jose, 1910 (Cuadrilla)

-  St. Louis, 1910 (Isla)

-  San Lorenzo, 1914 (Clint)

-  St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 1914

Fr. Pinto died on November 5th, 1919 here in El Paso and is buried at Concordia Cemetery with other Jesuits at the Jesuit plot.

There is a plaza dedicated to Padre Pinto and his accomplishments in the courtyard which joins the church to the school building.  The many plaques on the walls tell his most inspiring story.