As a result of the MexicanAmerican War (18461848), the region became part of the United States, splitting from the Diocese of Durango, and on 23 July 1850 the Vicariate Apostolic of New Mexico was established, which on 29 July 1853 became the Diocese of Santa Fe under Bishop John Baptist Lamy, encompassing West Texas and New Mexico Territory, which at the time included the present-day states of New Mexico and Arizona. Erected on 3 March 1914, the Diocese of El Paso originally covered nearly 65,000 square miles (170,000km2) in West Texas and southern New Mexico having been created from parts of the dioceses of Dallas, San Antonio and Tucson. A group of Irish Catholic women met the challenge and chose St. Patrick as patron. Deceased | The Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso partners with various Catholic and community organizations, both regional and national, to develop resources to sustain and grow the Catholic faith in far West Texas. Current Only | Countries | He also established Tepeyac Institute to prepare members of the laity for many ministries within the diocese. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. On 1 December 2011 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Ochoa as bishop of the Diocese of Fresno, California. (e.parentNode || document.body).insertBefore(s, e); By joining our mailing list, youll be first to learn about our progress, events and inspirational stories happening in the Catholic Diocese of El Paso. [10] The New Mexico church was later transferred to the Diocese of Las Cruces, which was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit as well. Seventy-eight percent of the population in the Diocese is Catholic, 81% is Hispanic, and 28% are immigrants. The Foundation proudly partners with the ICSC by promoting Stewardship as a way of life and the principles of Pray, Serve, Give. William Farah, the company's president, subsequently called Metzger a member of the "rotten old bourgeoisie" and a man who is "lolling in wealth".[4]. Ad Limina | Jim Parker is the Director of Digital Content for ABC-7. The Diocese of El Paso is located in Region 10 of the USCCB. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. The see is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. On Saint Patrick's Day, 1978, Metzger retired and on 4 April 1978 Patrick Flores, Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio, was appointed by Pope Paul VI to succeed him. cruces las downtown history historic nm detailed elem.type = "text/javascript";

"https://secure" : "http://edge") + ".quantserve.com/quant.js"; Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines |, KVIA-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications |, Breaking News Covering 26,686 square miles (69,120km2), it encompasses the Texas counties of El Paso, Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Presidio, Reeves, Ward and Winkler with approximately 668,000 professing members, being 80.8% of the total population, served by 107 priests, 54 parishes and 237 male and female religious. (915) 872-8412 ", In terms of parishioners, Seitz outlined the following: "I am not requiring those who come to Mass or most other events at Church to be vaccinated, in part because that would exclude most children at this point, since the vaccine is not yet available to them. Popes | On 3 March 1914, Pope Pius X established the Diocese of El Paso as a suffragan see of Santa Fe. Brown was appointed bishop of the newly created diocese on 22 January 1915 but resigned before his scheduled consecration. In 1972 more than 3,000 employees of Farah Manufacturing Company in El Paso went on a strike lasting 20 months. In raising funds for the cathedral's construction, the diocese offered to allow the first group to raise $10,000 for the project to name the new cathedral. The Diocese of El Paso is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio. A memorial commemorating the ordination of St. Peter of Jesus Maldonado was erected in St. Patrick Cathedral in 2005. The Diocese of El Paso (Latin: Dioecesis Elpasensis, Spanish: Dicesis de El Paso) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in West Texas. Living | The Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso is a 501(c)(3) under federal tax guidelines. "Reliable reports indicate that more than 90% of those hospitalized with Covid-19 and the Delta variant are unvaccinated. Brown, S.J. _qevents.push({ In 1939 Urbici Soler y Manonelles completed the Shrine of Cristo Rey on the mountain where the borders of New Mexico, Texas and Chihuahua meet. The earliest school of the Sisters of Loretto, Loretto Academy, dates from 1879 in San Elizario and, after moving to El Paso in 1892, continues to operate to the present day. The Catholic Church has served the needs of God's people in the Diocese of El Paso for 400 years. Copyright 2022 Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso. Religious Orders | Consistories | Oldest | Bishop Schuler oversaw the construction of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The bishop indicated more restrictions could become necessary if the variant continues to spread in the El Paso community. In 1891 the El Paso area was transferred to the newly created Diocese of Dallas. ), Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}314725N 1062524W / 31.79028N 106.42333W / 31.79028; -106.42333, Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Texas, USA, History of the Diocese of El Paso, Any Sparke, Mission Corpus Christi de la Isleta del Sur, Mission Nuestra Seora de la Limpia Concepcin de Los Piros de Socorro del Sur, Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick in El Paso, Global organisation of the Catholic Church, List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical), List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view), List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ice01, "28 priests were accused of sex abuse in late 2018. Pea called for a middle ground in the blockade[clarification needed] against the undocumented during the mid-1990s. The diocese covered nearly 65,000 square miles (170,000km2) in West Texas and southern New Mexico and was created from parts of the dioceses of Dallas, San Antonio and Tucson. (915) 872-8411, catholicfoundation@catholicfoundationelpaso.org. El Paso, TX 79907, Ph. by Year | which as a result was in Texas only, became part of the Province of San Antonio. On 13 July 1548 Pope Paul III erected the Diocese of Guadalajara, which included the northern frontier of New Spain. })(); Rural areas in southern New Mexico and west Texas were served by travelling priests in car and horseback. On 29 November 1942, Bishop Schuler retired and Metzger succeeded as bishop of El Paso. Originally, the present-day area of El Paso was under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Mexico which was established on 2 September 1530 by Pope Clement VII and included all of the territory of New Spain. Daily Weather Forecast Vacant | All | The Foundation partners with the USCCB by promoting the national collections of the American Bishops and receives significant grant funding each year from the USCCB. Overview | In making his decision to impose these mandates, Seitz cited the impact of the highly infectious Delta variant now circulating across the nation and in the Borderland. Hotel Dieu, a hospital opened in 1892, operated for many decades. In El Paso's present-day Mission Valley, Spanish missionaries established Mission Corpus Christi de la Isleta del Sur in 1682 and Mission Nuestra Seora de la Limpia Concepcin de Los Piros de Socorro del Sur in 1682. CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 UPDATES AND PLANS, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, International Catholic Stewardship Council. St. Mary's School was opened for Catholic children in 1903. Entertainment After Pinto's efforts, Catholic parishes began to flourish in El Paso. On 29 April 1980, Raymundo Joseph Pea, Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio, was appointed bishop of El Paso and was installed on 18 June 1980. Youngest | We take great pride in our Hispanic heritage, the significant impact the Catholic Church has had in our region, and the bright future that lies ahead for the diocese. The Diocese of El Paso includes 10 counties in far West Texas with 61,376 registered families in 57 parishes and 20 mission churches. elem.async = true; On 16 October 1961 the eastern portion of the diocese was carved out to form part of the newly erected Diocese of San Angelo. At the time Metzger said, "I feel that the company is acting unjustly in denying to the workers the basic right to collective bargaining." He explained, "For the sake our brothers and sisters, I am requiring all those who are employed by the Church and all those who perform Church ministries including, but not limited to, catechists and Eucharistic ministers to be vaccinated. [10], (John J. Titular | These included Sacred Heart, Immaculate Conception, St. Ignatius, Guardian Angel, and Holy Family parishes. (function() {

[9], On August 4, 2020, the Diocese of El Paso was named in a sexual abuse lawsuit involving a plaintiff identified as "Jane Doe," for alleged sex abuse committed by Damian Gamboa at the St. Francis de Paula Church in Tularosa, New Mexico in the early 1980s. There was no Catholic church in El Paso proper before 1881. Metzger oversaw the implementation of the Council's decrees in the diocese. var scpt = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; })(); __mtm = [ '5ae27a4486d2826053dcee59', 'cdn01.mzbcdn.net/mngr' ]; Cardinals by Rank On 26 November 1941 Pope Pius XII appointed Sidney Matthew Metzger, then Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Fe, coadjutor bishop of El Paso. Conclaves | Bishop Schuler ordained Father Pedro de Jesus Maldonado Lucero, from Chihuahua City, in St. Patrick Cathedral in 1918 to serve the needs of the faithful in the state of Chihuahua. var elem = document.createElement('script'); qacct:"p-tDHWV7YXNsXfD" Flores was installed on 29 May 1978 and served just over a year before being appointed Archbishop of San Antonio. Metzger gained national attention for his advocacy on behalf of the workers. The newspaper reaches 30,000 homes each month, is the official voice of the Bishop of El Paso, and informs the Catholic community about various diocesan events as well as national and worldwide Catholic Church news. On 6 May 2013, Pope Francis appointed Mark J. Seitz, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, to succeed Ochoa. Fr Maldonado was beaten to death in Santa Isabel, Chihuahua by town authorities in 1937 and was raised to sainthood as one of the Saints of the Cristero War canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2000. On 23 May 1994 Bishop Pea was transferred to the Diocese of Brownsville and on 1 April 1996 Pope John Paul II appointed then Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles Armando Xavier Ochoa as bishop of El Paso and he was installed on 26 June 1996.

(function() { Holy See | Our ministries, parishes, and schools were founded with the desire to share Catholic life and give witness to Christ. Bishops: It builds the Church through fostering and strengthening ministries, creating the next generation of Catholic leaders, and supporting church construction and renovation. On 17 August 1982 the portion of the diocese in southern New Mexico was carved out to form part of the newly formed Diocese of Las Cruces; the Diocese of El Paso. The Rio Grande Catholic is the official newspaper of the Diocese of El Paso. Citing the need for the Catholic Church to lead by example and to act responsibly to protect others during theRead more, The bishop of El Paso said the Church must work with the administration on issues that overlap, after attending anRead more, Three angel statues at St. Pius X Church in El Paso have suffered heavy damage in a vandalism incident, promptingRead more, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso has called for prayer and a small capacity of attendees at Mass, as aRead more, A man has been charged after he decapitated a statue of Christ in El Paso, while the NYPD is lookingRead more, A vandal destroyed a statue of Jesusat St. Patrick Cathedral in El Paso, Texas on Tuesday, the latest in anRead more, Pope Francis on Wednesday called Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, after the bishop joined aRead more, Bishop Mark Seitz is the first U.S. Catholic bishop to physically and publicly join the protests and demonstrations against racialRead more, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso issued a pastoral letter Sunday reflecting on the area's history of racism and encouragingRead more, Three Catholic Churches in El Paso were this year the targets of arson, FBI officials announced on Sept. 19. Structured View The Catholic Church Extension Society works to make visible the power of faith in Americas most marginalized communities. Home | In the early 1960s, Bishop Metzger was called to Rome to attend the Second Vatican Council. Eastern Catholic Churches. During the Mexican Revolution there was an influx of Catholics from Mexico into the El Paso area. The present boundaries of the diocese were established on 17 August 1982 when the New Mexico portion of the diocese was split off to form part of the newly created Diocese of Las Cruces. was appointed in 1915; did not take effect. Those who have chosen not to be vaccinated due to the fear of side effects must now recognize that the risk of side effects pales in comparison to the risk of death from the Delta variant," Seitz wrote in his letter. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. During the first few years of his term, with the help of the Catholic Church Extension Society, Metzger travelled the United States making his appeal from the pulpit for funds to erect new apostolates needed by the diocese. Several cases of that variant have been confirmed in El Paso County, with a dozen more pinpointed in neighboring Dona Ana County. Often Catholics from El Paso boarded a hand-pulled ferry to attend mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Jurez.[2]. Dioceses: Roman Curia | Cardinal Electors Our Sunday Visitor is a Roman Catholic publishing company that prints prints the American national weekly newspaper of that name, as well as numerous Catholic periodicals, religious books, pamphlets, catechetical materials, inserts for parish bulletins, offertory envelopes, and an online giving system for parishes. s.src = '//' + __mtm[1] + '/mtm.js'; The requirements are outlined in a letter from Bishop Mark Seitz that has been circulated throughout the diocese; a copy of that letter was provided to ABC-7 on Wednesday by a diocesan official. In 1620 Pope Paul V established the Diocese of Durango which encompassed all of the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Santa Fe de Nuevo Mxico. At the time El Paso was a major center of the mining industry in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, with many of the miners being Irish.[3]. var _qevents = _qevents || []; When the see of Santa Fe was elevated to an archdiocese, the El Paso area was transferred to the newly created Vicariate Apostolic of Arizona in 1868. Recent | Necrology elem.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? In 2004, Ochoa established the Committee on a Five-Year Plan for Vocations and a Committee on the Life and Ministry of Priests. s.async = 1; In the 1770s the Presidio Chapel of San Elizario was established. Continuing in Bishop Metzger's footsteps, Pea continued work for issues of social justice in the diocese taking up the cause the undocumented immigrants. EL PASO, Texas -- The El Paso Catholic Diocese is mandating that all church employees get vaccinated against Covid-19, and will require any that any unvaccinated parishioners wear face masks to church services. [6][7][8] On May 6, 2020, the Diocese of El Paso and its St. Jude's and Immaculate Conception parishes, located in Alamogordo, were named in a sexual abuse lawsuit stemming from alleged abuse committed by David Holley. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Contests & Promotions, 2022, NPG of Texas, L.P. El Paso, TX USA, Sarah Coria, reporter, multimedia journalist. The International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC) is a professional organization recognized internationally as a source of education, networking and information to advance the ministry of Christian stewardship as a way of life in the Roman Catholic Church, and to promote the cause of Catholic philanthropy in dioceses and parishes worldwide. var s = document.createElement('script'); [9] The plaintiff alleged assault and battery as well as sexual assault and child pornography. The anti-clerical Mexican Constitution of 1917 and the persecution of the Catholic Church under Mexican presidents Venustiano Carranza and Plutarco Elas Calles resulted in an influx of priests and religious crossing back and forth between El Paso and Jurez to serve the needs of Catholics in Mexico during the Cristero War. The Catholic population served by the Diocese is 693,793 out of a total population of 884,407 making El Paso one of the most Catholic dioceses in the United States. Here's a running list", "Diocese of El Paso names priests accused of sexual abuse of minors", "El Paso Catholic Diocese releases names of 30 priests accused in church sex abuse scandal", "St. Jude's, Immaculate Conception named in lawsuit for 1970s child sexual abuse", "Two more Catholic priests accused of child sexual abuse in southern New Mexico", Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso Official Site, Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of San Antonio, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_El_Paso&oldid=1094643870, Christian organizations established in 1914, Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century, Irish-American history and culture in Texas, Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 23 June 2022, at 19:02. KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. }); Square Kilometers: 69,090 (26,686 Square Miles), Mailing Address: 499 St. Matthews St., El Paso, TX 79912, USA. In 1999 the diocese began a cooperative program with the Archdiocese of Atlanta for preparing seminarians from that area for ministry to the growing Hispanic population in the southern United States. Councils On 17 June 1915, another Jesuit, Father Anthony Joseph Schuler, was appointed bishop and was consecrated on 28 October 1915 by John Baptist Pitaval, the Archbishop of Santa Fe.

by Date | Read more, El Paso bishop requires vaccination for Catholic church employees, ministers, What the bishop of El Paso told the vice president on immigration, Vandalism outside El Paso Catholic church damages three angel statues, El Paso bishop asks for prayer, smaller Masses as coronavirus cases increase, El Paso cathedral vandalism suspect charged with criminal mischief, El Paso cathedral suffers vandalism attack, Pope Francis called El Paso bishop after prayerful demonstration, El Paso bishop kneels to pray at George Floyd protest, El Paso bishop encourages Catholics to overcome racism with acts of inclusion, FBI: Three El Paso Catholic Churches were targeted by arson, FULL TEXT: Statement by the Holy See on German 'Synodal Way', A look into Americas oldest Carmelite monastery, Brazilian Bishop dedicates new shrine with large cross and Our Lady of Lourdes statue, Bogot archbishop exhorts Colombia: Never forget God!, Right to Contraception Act: U.S. House passes bill with implications for abortion, religion, Pontifical Academy for Life board member: Church teaching on contraception has not changed, TRACKER: Pro-abortion attacks in the U.S. continue (updated), Vatican warning: Germany's Synodal Way poses threat to the unity of the Church, Pope Francis: The poor suffer the most from heat waves, drought, 'The Catholic Church remembers Ukraine': Archbishop visits wounded soldiers. However, I am requiring those who are unvaccinated (aged 3 or higher) to wear a face mask for their own protection and the protections of those in close contact with them.". Ochoa has encouraged vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and the strengthening of diocesan ministries. Events: Jesuit priest Father John J. [1] In the 1880s the new railroad lines in El Paso created a population boom and in 1882 lots were purchased on North Oregon Street as a site for the first Catholic church in El Paso, known as St. Mary's or Holy Family, which was completed in November 1882. Daily News Updates Severe Weather To address the needs of the growing Catholic community, Jesuit priest Carlos Pinto established several new parishes in El Paso. His success was evident in the continuing establishment of Catholic ministries and institutions. scpt.parentNode.insertBefore(elem, scpt); He initiated the annual Diocesan Congresses which enable the faithful to enrich their knowledge of the faith and commitment to ministry.[5]. Fax. These mission churches function to this day as parishes of the diocese and are among the oldest churches in the United States. All | You can read his entire letter below. In 1924, Bishop Schuler opened St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and Cathedral High School. It was the nearest Catholic church for El Paso residents at the time. In 2001 the diocese entered into a pact of solidarity with the dioceses of Choluteca, Tegucigalpa, and Brownsville, Texas, in response to the devastation caused in Central America in 1998 by Hurricane Mitch. The massive statue of Christ the King looks out over three states in two nations. Metzger was also a strong advocate for social justice issues such as the rights of the working people to collective bargaining. San Jos de Concordia el Alto was erected in 1859 on the site of the present Concordia Cemetery. Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table. 499 St. Matthews Street var e = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; Metzger built the current St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, two Catholic youth organisation camps in the New Mexico mountains, Holy Cross Retreat near Las Cruces. [9] The plaintiff, identified as "John Doe," accused the Diocese of El Paso of protecting David Holley after Holley sexually abused him in the 1970s. On January 31, 2019, the Diocese of El Paso released the names of 30 Catholic clergy who were "credibly accused" of committing acts of sexual abuse while serving in the Diocese.