About Us

The Casa Franciscana Mission in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico dates back to 1968, when the Mexican Obregon Diocese asked the Franciscan Province of Saint Barbara, CA, USA to provide pastoral care to the English-speaking community in San Carlos, Mexico. The friars agreed to minister this care to the San Carlos community under the condition that they could also serve the poor in the neighboring city of Guaymas, Mexico.

The Mission’s current programs address the many needs of the marginalized population of Guaymas through its free medical/dental clinic, Mesón de Jesus (dining room), food packages for the home-bound and migrant shelter support. In collaboration with Shriners Hospitals, children with orthopedic and burn issues are transported to clinics in Phoenix.  Our services are open to all, but we primarily serve four of the poorest Guaymas neighborhoods, a population of approximately 10,000 in a city with approximately 110,000 people.

The Casa Franciscana Mission has a history of creating important programs that evolve into standalone community institutions.  Examples of these programs are the Hogar de Paz (an orphanage); Jerry’s Club (a safe after-school recreational program for children 12 years of age and under); Belles Artes (a music academy for youth).   They are all self-sustaining with the assistance of Mexican governance boards and the Guaymas community.

 

In 2023 Your Support Helped To:

  • Serve 116,088 individual hot meals to needy adults and children
  • Deliver 13,800 food boxes to the disabled, elderly and families
  • Facilitate 11,313 medical/dental/psychologic services
  • Provide 1,351 sessions of educational support at five sites (tutoring, counseling, computers and monitoring)
  • Award 15 scholarships to Belles Artes Music Academy founded by Br. Ivo
  • Initiate a recognized diabetic education program with 30 enrollees
  • Distribute 2,150 pairs of children’s shoes
  • Furnish 2,150 backpacks with school supplies
  • Facilitate 508 hygiene visits with showers, haircuts, clean clothes
  • Establish 12 home gardens
  • Provide blessings, friendship, love, hope and more to our brothers and sisters – immeasurable!!

…AND MORE

 

The Casa Franciscana Outreach (CFO), formally established in 1988 and based in Scottsdale, AZ, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization also under the Franciscan Province of Saint Barbara. The principal purpose of the CFO is to raise funds and awareness for the Mission in Guaymas, Mexico.  The CFO provides approximately $300,000 annually for the important work of the Mission. This is accomplished through the work of an all-volunteer board supported by a part-time paid accountant.

The Casa Franciscans Mission is also an Asociacion Civil (A.C.) in Mexico which is the equivalent of a 501(c)3 in the United States and maintains a separate board in Guaymas to meet that country’s requirements.  The two boards meet annually and function collaboratively.