Our History
The roots of Our Lady of the Light Parish go back to the community of Stormsville, located along the Rim Road, and date back to the early 20th century. Stormsville, located in La Mesa, was a community of humble people who had lost their homes to the river flooding of 1897 and moved to that plateau in 1898. The neighborhood was named after the owner of the land, Mr. Storms, an attorney and real estate agent who later became the district attorney. Although it was commonly called Stormsville, the same inhabitants of the area called it La Mesa or La Placita. None of the 75 houses at La Mesa had more than 4 rooms, nor did they have floors, electricity, gas or running water. Stormsville existed for 30 years before the city declared it a ruin in 1928. The newly organized Rim Road Development Company bought the land from Mr. Storms and then sold the lots to wealthy owners.
In 1920, under the direction of Father Falvio Remigio, the only stone building in Stormsville was built, which was the Church of the Virgin of the Light. That same year the first bell was brought from Mexico. In 1928, when the Stormsville families were evicted, they moved to Valverde, an area near what is now the El Paso Coliseum. The superstitions of the time said that there were ghosts in the neighborhood, and the inhabitants called it El Barrio del Diablo (Neighborhood of the Devil). In 1920, the Jesuits built a small chapel in Valverde made of branches with a bell that used to be part of a railway track, hanging from a tree. In 1929 the first stone of the permanent church was laid and in 1930, the first mass was held in Miguel de la Torres' house, on Dolan Street. In 1932, under the administration of Father Remigio, the church was completed and in 1938, it was replaced by a larger temple, which is currently the Dolan Chapel.
The Jesuit Priests of the Church of St. Francis Xavier attended the church since 1935 and built the sacristy. In 1942, the Claretian missionaries, including Fathers Rufus Olavarrieta and Juan Errasti, were put in charge of the parish. In the 1950's, Father John Zelaya, C.M.F. built the auditorium and the parish house, remodeled the choir loft and church, purchased land for a larger temple and established a building fund. On April 9, 1964, Bishop Metzger elevated Our Lady of the Light to parish and assigned diocesan clergy. In August 1964, the parish inaugurated the Our Lady of the Light School, the construction was completed, and the new church was blessed. Under the direction of Father Thomas Rowland, Our Lady of the Light was one of the first parishes to be remodeled according to the norms of the new Vatican liturgy II.