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Planting a New Tree of Life
One of the Franciscan values is care for creation which includes Mother Earth. In observance of Earth Day, Fr. Martin and his team gathered in a rural neighborhood outside of Guaymas where some of the poorest of the poor live. They were there to launch a new pilot project – to plant fruit trees. Even…
Read MoreAn Anonymous Grant to Bring Technology to the Poor
During COVID, with schools closed, the children of the poor were excluded from any form of instruction since they lacked all needed technology (tv, computers, internet and, in some cases, electricity). The Mission staff conceived a pilot project to address these impediments and we are very blessed to have it funded by a private Catholic…
Read MoreCFO Pilots Scholarship Program
Education is one of the few paths out of poverty for the marginalized children served by the Mission. While the Mexican government adopted education for grades 1-12, the new federalism gave states the obligation to manage schools. In some of the poorer areas, only 43.5% of 15 years of age have completed primary school. While…
Read MoreA Cross for Ramon
My dear sisters and brothers, He had no form or majesty that we should look at him…he was despised and rejected by others. Isaiah 53:2-7. This was our brother Ramon. He was an alcoholic who lived on the streets and a frequent visitor to our food lines, clothing bank and medical clinic. One day, Ramon…
Read MoreMission helped more individuals in 2021 than ever before
With the help of our dedicated staff in Guaymas and generous donor gifts, our Mission helped more individuals in 2021 than ever before. Our team overcame the challenges associated with Covid-19 restrictions by taking the Mission’s services on the road. Bringing assistance to individuals, families, the elderly and children in struggling communities, our mission was…
Read MoreAngels All Around Us
Christmas and angels go together. The final touch of the Christmas tree is often the angel on the top. Yet, I’ve met angels in the disguise of ordinary people. One was Sabina, the mother of 12 and 14 year old daughters. We discovered her during our external ministry into the barrios. She was in unbearable…
Read MoreFeed the Hungry
My dear brothers and sisters, October, 2021 As the Transitus (passing from this life to the next) of St. Francis approaches, I reflect on the Janet Sullivan Whitaker verse: The hungry, the lonely, the forgotten, the neglected, abandoned, invisible, the homeless, the battered, the frightened, the hopeless, the dying. All of these are Me. These…
Read MoreEvery Child Should Have Shoes Too
My dear brothers and sisters, Imagine children who have NEVER had shoes! I am Fr. Martin, Director of the Casa Franciscana Mission in Guaymas, MX. Each year we reach out to help the children as they prepare for school in the poor neighborhoods and migrant farmworker camps. Shoes are required for them to attend school…
Read MoreSuccessful heart surgery gives Esperanza hope
Esperanza (her name means hope) is sleepy after the ten hour all night drive from Guaymas in a crowded van. Soon after she was born, a heart defect was discovered. Some say it was miracle that Casa Franciscana was able to get her to Phoenix where the good Shriner doctors from Utah were holding a…
Read MoreThe Shriners help Jose walk again
Jose has cerebral palsy. He was totally incapacitated and difficult for his family to care for him with his misshapen legs. After treatment through the Shriners, he is able to walk with lightweight molded braces and special crutches that clip to his arms. Jose is happy to attend school and to continue to receive treatment. …
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