Save Taxes Through Donations From Your IRA

Generally, all distributions from IRA (excluding Roth) and 401(k) accounts are included in taxable income. An exception is available for donors who are 70 ½ or older under the qualified charitable distribution (QCD) rule. Those donors can direct amounts from their IRA and 401(k) accounts to qualified charities and exclude the donated amount from taxable income. Casa…

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A Guiding Light?

We are all familiar with the story of Baby Jesus asleep in the manager with parents and a guiding star to provide protection, love, and care – every child’s need and hope.  Four year old Sergito’s and six year old Carlita’s story is very different. One day he and his sister walked hand in hand…

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Our New United States Citizen

On October 6, 2023 I was honored to attend the ceremony where our beloved Fr. Martin became a U.S. citizen. It was on his 19-year journey to citizenship that he was guided to a parish in San Jose, CA. where he was introduced to the Franciscans and found his vocation!  The citizenship ceremony was amazing as…

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Diabetic Education Program a Reality

Señor Gomez is a 53 year old diabetic with high blood pressure and resulting amputations of the right leg and left foot. He is one of 30 similar diabetic sisters and brothers that our new specially trained diabetic education team will follow. The hope is that, if taught to manage diabetes, their quality of life…

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Diabetes Impact on the Poor

My dear sisters and brothers,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Mexico’s marginalized populations are at higher risk of developing diseases like diabetes – a sickness costly to manage for low-income individuals. Mexico has a diabetic rate of 1 in 6 adults. With the poor, it is higher resulting in heartbreaking disability, amputations, kidney failure, blindness, heart disease and inability…

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Casa Franciscana Featured in International Magazine

Photo by Rick Rusch: San Xavier Mission Tucson, AZ on the way to Casa Franciscana, Guaymas, MX Eclair is an international magazine about celebrities, fashion, art and beauty . So how did the article, Humanitarian  Travel: A Journey of Impact and Hope (Volume 41 Issue 184) , about the Casa Franciscana Mission happen to be…

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Imagine never having a pair of shoes

My dear sisters and brothers,SHOES! Imagine never having a pair of shoes or imaginesharing shoes with siblings to take turns going to school!! Each year we discover more children deprived of educationdue to not having shoes to attend class. Last year you openedyour hearts AND opened a path out of poverty for1,467children by funding shoes…

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Home Gardens sustain life in Guaymas

My dear sisters and brothers,                                                                                                Last year we started a pilot project of home gardens that was an overwhelming success! This is another version of “if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”. The idea…

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Mothers’ Day Amazon Delivery: Casa Franciscana Style

The Casa Franciscana Mission brought tears of gratitude, smiles of happiness and a message of God’s love to almost 400 mothers amongst the poor and elderly. Many of these women are grandmothers raising grandchildren. The Mission staff and volunteers went out to the barrios and walked through dirt, ruts and stones to hand deliver flowers,…

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Earth Day: Are You Sharing Your Bounty

In August 2022, we wrote to you about the first harvest of the home gardens in Guaymas funded and mentored by the Casa Franciscana Outreach. There are now ten gardens with accessible water tanks! The families are not only enjoying fresh healthy vegetables and the pride of growing them but they are sharing their bounty…

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A Mission Transformation

The Casa Franciscana Guaymas has undergone an extraordinary transformation during these last three years. Fr. Martin Ibarra has challenged us to take our services out to all the local and neighboring communities to reach the people who need our help the most.  We have transitioned what was an internal operation before the pandemic into an…

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Christmas Is Love in Action

My dear sisters and brothers, During the Christmas season, we naturally think of children. This year, little five year old Rigolito or Rigo is especially in my thoughts. We met him on a hot humid Guaymas day while we were visiting the sick and delivering food boxes. His sister came running to us; telling us…

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Ron Cope: He Was A Special Blessing

We are all called to serve the Lord’s kingdom here on earth in different ways. Some to pray, some to lead, and some as soldiers. Ron Cope answered the Lord’s call many years ago with a service retreat to our Franciscan Mission in Guaymas, Mexico. Whatever happened on that trip changed Ron’s heart forever. Ron…

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Parents Caring about Parents

When people are asked “what would you take if you were forced to quickly evacuate your home?” the answer is always family photos. But imagine not having any! This is the situation of many of the poor that the Casa Franciscana Mission serves. Frequently, as our team distributes shoes, they take pictures of the children…

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A Guiding Light?

We are all familiar with the story of Baby Jesus asleep in the manager with parents and a guiding star to provide protection, love, and care – every child’s need and hope.  Four year old Sergito’s and six year old Carlita’s story is very different. One day he and his sister walked hand in hand…

Read More