Misión de San Jose
graves of Juan and Virginia Chacón
Faywood, New Mexico

Misión de San Jose was established in 1893 and has been an active Catholic church since then. In the mid-20th century it was the home church of Juan and Virginia Chacón, who were leaders in the mine workers union movement at the nearby Empire Zinc mine. They are well-known from the 1954 film "Salt of the Earth". The film is about a famous miners' strike at the mine, and is notable for its treatment of sexism and racism as labor issues. It was black-listed and unavailable for many years, but is now available as a DVD. Juan Chacón played himself in the film, Virginia's part was played by Rosaura Revueltas, and many of the actors were members of the union and participants in the strike.

The International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers Local 890 (now United Steelworkers of America) union hall still stands in nearby Bayard, and has a mural commemorating the strike on its exterior wall.

The graves of Juan and Virginia Chacón can be found in the church graveyard which is located some distance behind the church.

Faywood is located on NM SH 61 about 10 miles east of the junction with US 180

Location

1106 NM-61, Hanover,NM (USPS address)
coordinates 32.620664,-107.876964

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