Since 1680, the Mission of Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur has been the spiritual center of the Tigua Indian community in western Texas.

The town of Ysleta del Sur was founded after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, during which many Tiwa, Piro, Tompiro, Tano, and Jemez Indians fled south to New Mexico along with Spanish settlers. It is currently the only indigenous town in Texas, with a tribe and sovereign nation recognized in the United States.

The first Mass at this mission was celebrated on October 12, 1680, in a chapel made of adobe, logs, and willow branches. It was not until 1691 that an adobe church could be built; both the town and the church were destroyed by a flood in 1740 and rebuilt four years later.

This mission has a long history of destruction, displacement, and renewal due to continual physical losses from frequent floods and a chemical fire in 1907. Nonetheless, it is one of the oldest religious buildings that has been continuously occupied.

By the early 19th century, the town had already established itself as a community of farmers and artisans who traded their pottery, baskets, textiles, and other traditional arts along El Camino Real, a trend that increased following Mexico’s independence in 1821.

The current mission was constructed in 1908. Inside, one can observe the integration of Native American tradition with Christian religion, expressed through motifs of rain clouds, corn stalks, baskets, and blankets coexisting with Neoclassical decorations. Its façade, however, showcases Spanish Colonial Revival with minimal architectural decoration.