Recognizing the need for additional support for the Saltillo Mission, former pastors of the Mississippi sponsored Mission in Mexico, wrote a letter to all the pastors of the Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, to gather support for the Annual Mission Appeal.
The Mission, supported by the Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi, has fallen on hard times in recent years due to the lack of support coming from the groups that in the past made yearly missionary trips to the Mexico based Mission and which no longer come.
Drug violence in Mexico forced the groups to cancel their trips, when they would bring needed material items and also medical and financial support.
In addition to the drug violence, a severe drought has taken its toll on the thousands of parishioners of the parish. The Mission consists of 8 chapels in the City of Saltillo, as well as 39 churches in the mountain regions outside of the City. The Mission is also in the process of taking on additional areas, both in the City and in the Ranchos.
The San Miguel Church is the central location for the Mission and provides a medical and dental clinic to take care of the many that need medical and dental care. Medical and dental care is limited to those who cannot afford it.
Former pastors Michael Thornton, Louis Lohan, Patrick Mockler, as well as Saltillo native Father Sergio Balderas, penned an emergency letter, which was sent to every church pastor in the Biloxi Diocese, in an effort to help the Mission. "Recent events in Mexico have made the annual collection more important than ever for the ongoing funding of the Saltillo Mission. For many years over twenty groups from Mississippi and other states were able to visit the mission each year. These groups worked at the Mission and often made generous financial donations to the Mission. This amounted to around 50% of the operation expenses. Outbreaks of violence through much of Mexico have forced our parishes to discontinue the mission trips. It is difficult to predict when the situation there may improve. Resulting from all of this is the need to increase the annual collection so that the funding of the mission may continue," the priests stated.
Father Benny in his Annual Mission Appeal also stated that adding to the problems are the floods brought on by hurricanes in the southern and central part of Mexico which have wiped out thousands of acres of crops.
The four priests implored the pastors to do a little extra this year to promote the annual collection.
"Rest assured that your poor brothers and sisters of the Saltillo Mission pray for you every day. And you are in my prayers as well. God Bless you all!", commented Father Benny, pastor of the Saltillo Mission.
Donations for the continuance of the Mission can be sent to any Catholic Church in Mississippi with notation for "Saltillo Mission", or to Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church in LaPlace, Louisiana, marked for "Saltillo Mission",or contact Father Benny by email at bennyinmex@yahoo.com
or Saltillo Mission San Miguel on Facebook whose email is saltillomission@hotmail.com
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
