Sacred Heart Church Mural
The mural, located on E. Father Rahm Street was created by Francisco Delgado and Mauricio Olague in 2007, and set out to depict the important history of Segundo Barrio. It was painted on the south-facing wall of the Sacred Heart gym, which has played an important role within the Segundo Barrio community since the church’s parish school was founded.
Some of the notable people and places that are painted within the mural include the following (from left to right):
Mariano Azuela: Mariano Azuela played a pivotal role in the History of El Paso, specifically when it came to the Mexican Revolution and his writings about it. Azuela famously wrote Los de Abajo, which was a novel portraying the Mexican Revolution from a pro-Pancho Villa perspective. Azuela was also field doctor in Pancho Villa’s forces during the early 1910’s.
Border Crossing sculpture by Luis Jimenez: Luis Jimenez was a famous sculptor and artist from El Paso, Texas whose work reflected the American Southwest, Mexico, and contemporary Mexican culture. The mural depicts a man with a woman on his shoulders crossing the border; a sculpture of Jimenez’s, which was originally created in 1989. The sculpture being incorporated into the mural represents a particular history of El Paso, in which Mexican immigrants would cross the border to get to the United States (i.e., seeking asylum during the Mexican Revolution or the Cristero Wars). Jimenez was an influential artist during his era and impacted El Paso greatly.
Father Carlo Pinto (Padre Pinto): Father Pinto was a Jesuit priest who came from Naples, Italy and constructed Sacred Heart Catholic Church in 1892. The mural depicts Father Pinto holding a blueprint of plans for the Church.
An Alligator: Demonstrates the alligators that used to be at San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso.
A Priest Riding a bicycle: The priest that is riding the bicycle in the mural is Father Rahm, who came to El Paso in the 1950’s. His ultimate goal was to free the Segundo Barrio area of gangs and gang violence. According to Dr. Leyva, older men who lived in Segundo Barrio during this recount that Father Rahm would challenge gang members to boxing matches, claiming that if he beat them, they would have to leave the gang; he always won.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church: The Church is depicted with a painting of the building and a heart in front of it. Sacred Heart served as a pillar of Segundo Barrio, as it was located in the heart of the Mexican community in El Paso. Refuges from the Mexican Revolution attended church services there and sent their kids to the parish school.
Pancho Villa: Pancho Villa is portrayed on the mural because he was a famous figure in the Mexican Revolution, which played a prominent role in El Paso. Many journalists, writers, and newspapers in El Paso and Northern Mexico upheld pro-Villista opinions and he had a major influence on the border, specifically in Segundo Barrio.
Victor Ochoa in an airplane: Victor Ochoa is most famous for his invention of the “Ochoaplane”, which was invented in 1904 and is on display today at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. He was primarily known for his innovations but he was also a writer and anti-Diaz advocate during the Mexican Revolution. The mural portrays Ochoa in his “Ochoaplane”.
