Father Garde
Photo Credit: El Paso Herald-Post
Father Garde was born in Navarre, Spain in 1874 and moved to Mexico with his parents as a young boy. He was ordained in 1908 and became Pastor of Sacred Heart Church on May 3, 1918 during the Mexican Revolution and right at the edge of what would be known as the Cristero War (Guerra Cristera) the following decade. As a response to the influx of Mexican nationals escaping their war-torn country, he oversaw the expansion of the original building from the late 1800s. Amazingly, the church operated as usual despite the construction and continued its services. After leaving Sacred Heart Church in 1929, Father Garde went on to have a long career, he was editor of Revista Catolica and became pastor of St. Ignatius, the Immaculate Conception Church, and the Holy Family Church until his death in 1945. According to the El Paso Herald-Post, Father Garde was beloved by the community and “one of El Paso’s most popular priests.” Father Garde is buried in the Jesuit plot at the Concordia Cemetery.