Temple San Ignacio de Loyola

Temple San Ignacio de Loyola is a Catholic church building that is in El Paso, Texas. The current church was designed and executed from 1913 to 1922 by Gustavus A. Trost, of the Trost & Trost architectural and engineering company. The building is still in use, as of late 2023, and is part of the Diocese of El Paso.

History

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The project was headed by Gustavus A. Trost, under the mentorship of Henry C. Trost, both employed at the award-winning Trost & Trost firm. It was one of Gustavus' first endeavors for the firm as a practicing architect. The original church had been constructed in 1905. It underwent a remodel with final design planning approved in 1912, and with an initial annual budget of $22,000 starting in 1913. Over the ensuing decade—beginning in 1913—Trost & Trost built additions to the church, and remodeled the existing facade and towers, completing the project in 1922. The new design featured external brick walls, the installation of a heating system; expanded wooden towers with metal-clad cupolas, and tin roofing.[1] The remodeled church was dedicated on April 2, 1922.[2][3][4]

The central portion of the facade contains a general resemblance to the foundling hospital in Florence, Italy. Gustavus Trost had traveled extensively to Italy and had made detailed sketches of the hospital's interior for later study and use.[3][a]

Parish details

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Today, the parish offers weekend bilingual and Spanish services held in the church. It is part of the Roman Catholic St. Ignatius de Loyola parish of El Paso.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Florence foundling hospital was founded and construction begun on it in 1419. It was designed by the architect, Filippo Brunelleschi.

References

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  1. ^ Saint Ignatius of Loyola Church in El Paso, Texas : The Ponsford/Trost Collection; Portal to Texas History; online webpage; via Photograph; date unknown; accessed September 8, 2023, University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, El Paso Public Library.
  2. ^ Temple San Ignacio de Loyola addition; The Henry C. Trost Historical Society; article online; retrieved September 2023
  3. ^ a b via The Henry C. Trost Historical Society; Work Starts on $22,000 Church; the El Paso Herald; February 5, 1913; p. 5; retrieved September 2023
  4. ^ Cleofas Calleros; Historia de la Parroquia de San Ignacio de Loyola, El Paso, Texas, translated from English by Carlos D. Campillo; El Paso: American Printing Company, (1935), retrieved September 2023

Further reading

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  • Information gathered by Lloyd C. & June F. Engelbrecht under a grant from the National Endowment for the humanities for the El Paso Public Library; El Paso (1990).
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