Washing the Feet of Our Brothers
Br. Raul Diaz knows hunger. He grew up in rural El Salvador with five siblings. One of the highlights of his childhood was going to town with his mother to buy rice and corn. Hopefully, the supply would last until their next trip. These outings also provided him an opportunity to read the newspaper. He…
Read MoreObservations from Guaymas
Each year the CFO board, travels to Guaymas. On our recent trip, we were in awe watching the amazing Mission staff in action. Cries for help from those in need fill each day and unexpected happenings are around every corner. Their secret weapons for turning tragedy into something more manageable are patience, love and total unselfishness. Irma, the social work who has…
Read MoreThe Resurrection of Guaymas
Dear Ones, The death of beloved Fr. Elias in December made us aware that many of our newer supporters are not familiar with the history of the Casa Franciscana Mission. It is the story of the resurrection and hope of the Guaymas poor, an appropriate reflection for Easter, the resurrection of Christ, the hope of the world.In 1969, the bishop of…
Read MoreThe Food Chain in Guaymas
Meet Adolfo and his grandson. They are among the people in the poor hills of Guaymas that receive our food boxes. Recently, we accompanied Fr. Tommy on his delivery and found the young boy and the old man sitting on their patio. We could not help but to chuckle at what we saw between them. …
Read MoreEaster is upon us, do not forget those less fortunate
My dear sisters and brothers, One of the differences between Guaymas, MX and many of the places in the United States is that the poor, not the rich, live in the foothills. Why? The answer is simple; because there is little or no water or electricity or trash removal brought up into the hills. The…
Read MoreMission Youth Center Opens with Full Funding for Three Years
In November 2017, Casa Franciscana Mission staff went door-to-door to approximately 400 homes in four barrios (neighborhoods). The goal was to identify the unmet needs in these communities. The lack of resources for those aged 12 to 18 years was lamented over and over. As the result of a developed business plan and fundraising effort,…
Read MoreJanuary 14th-19th Medical Mission
Each year the Casa Franciscana Mission provides a “portable” medical mission to the rural communities outside of Guaymas, MX. The undertaking is a joint effort of Casa Franciscana staff, the Franciscan friars from the Province of Santa Barbara who are medical professionals, local volunteer physicians and dentist, countless other volunteers, the local Public Health Department…
Read MoreEmbracing Franciscan Values at Work
Volunteer CFO board member, Francisco López, traveled 20 hours to provide leadership training to the supervisory staff at the Casa Franciscana Mission in Guaymas. Francisco tells us that it was clear that each team member sees his or her job not as a job but as a calling. The commitment is to being the best…
Read MoreFarewell to Fr. Elias, a Mission Icon
A New Year’s tradition is to bid farewell to those who have passed in the closing year and on December 23, 2018 Fr. Elias Galvez left us. Given his life of good works, we are sure that he is now enjoying the presence of his Father and his beloved St. Francis. This quiet friar with…
Read MoreNo Shoes for La Posada
As usual, we spend a lot of time in December organizing piñatas, cake, candy and new balls for Posadas/Christmas parties with kids in poorer neighborhoods and villages around Guaymas. Last Saturday (December 15th) we went to Guásimas, a fishing village of indigenous Yaqui people, that was about a half-hour drive south of Guaymas. They still…
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