St. Mary's Catholic Church: Youth for Christ Gathering

General Information

Reverend Rolando Fonseca [Administrator]
P.O. Box 356. Marfa, TX 79843 Phone [Fax]: (432) 729-4694
Weekend Services: Saturdays 5:00pm [English], Sundays 8:00 [Spanish] & 10:00am [English]
Daily Services: Tuesday - Friday 7:00am. First Fridays: 6:00pm
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Every first Friday of the month from 12:00 noon to 12:45pm with Benediction.
Reconciliation: Saturdays 4:00pm
Office Hours: Tuesday thru Friday 1:00pm-5:00pm
Baptisms: Make arrangements at the office
Matrimony: Make arrangements at the office
West Texas Ministry: (432) 729-3385

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Youth for Christ Gathering

Our first Marfa Youth for Christ gathering consisted of fourteen teens. We began our gathering with prayer and served them a meal consisting of delicious grilled burgers and cake for dessert. After our meal, a discussion was held regarding having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and each teen was asked to reflect on where they are today in their lives. Their thoughts were individually sealed and will be opened in three months. This will provide them with an opportunity to reflect on their spiritual growth and understanding.

The parable of the Prodigal Son was read and each group was asked to prepare a skit based on similar stories in the 21st Century. They focused on how we might not always make the right decisions, but that our loving Father will always have His arms open to forgive us. It was a wonderful evening spent together in the name of Jesus Christ. An open awareness that He is always by our side, through the good and bad, and ready to open His arms wide open for us always!

We welcome all of our 9th-12th grade teens to join us at 6:00 pm Sunday evenings at our parish hall.

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Service Men & Women

1 Lt. Rose Guerrero [Army]
2nd Lt. jerome D. Estrada [Air Force]
Adela Flores Mediano [Army]
Agustin Alex Acosta [Navy]
Alcee Tavarez, Jr.
Auden Flores [Marines]
Charles A. Rodriguez [Air Force]
Chris A. Rodriguez [Marines]
CPO WM. Brito Quintana II [Navy]
Gary Upshaw
Henry March Guevara [Navy]
Ignacio Doñez, Jr. [Navy]
Isaac Torres [Air Force]
J.D. Lujan [Navy]
Jaime Salazar Jr. [Marines]
James Daniel Bustamente [Marines]
James Daniel Bustamente [Marines]
Jennifer N. Hernandez [Air Force]
John Luis Vasquez [Air Force]
John Vasquez [Air Force]
Jose Ascencio [Marines]
Joseph "Yogi" Orosco [Army]
Lazaro Lopez [Marines]
Leonard Lopez
Lionel Salazar, Jr. [Air Force]
Lt. Sam Dunlap [Air Force]
Manuel Ramos [Marines]
Matthew H. Kemp
Maurice H. Muhle
Miguel Machuca
Pablo Reyes [Army]
Petty Officer, 2nd Class Henry James Gonzales [Navy]
PFC Eddie Marquez Jr. [Army]
PFC Thomas Sanchez
Ray Gomez [Marines]
Ronnie García [Air Force]
Roy Salazar [Air Force]
Ruben Villanueva [Navy]
S. Sgt. Alfredo Ceniceros III [Air Force]
S. Sgt. James C. Quinn, Jr. [Marines]
S. Sgt. Richard Erik Gonzales [Air Force]
Sgt. Anthony Mendoza [Army]
Sgt. David Duran Perez [Marines]
Sgt. Loui C. Herrera
Sgt. Mark Sailler [Army]
Sgt. Robert Herrera
SPC Herberto Jose Ontiveros
Sr. A. Armida Gonzalez [Air Force]
Valerie Razo [Air Force]
Vincent Uranga Lupio [Marines]

Vocation Prayer

Gracious and loving God
under the inspiration of Our Lady of Guadalupe
raise up men and women of our parish
to the call to serve in the Diocese of El Paso.
Our needs are great
and our people thirst for your presence.
Open the hearts of many,
raise up faithful servants of the Gospel, dedicated,
holy priests, sisters, brothers and deacons,
who will spend themselves for your people
and their needs.
Bless those who are serving now
with courage and perseverance.
Grant that many will be inspired
by their example and faith to serve
in the ministerial priesthood, consecrated life,
and lay ministry.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer to John Paul II

O Blessed Trinity
We thank You for having graced the Churchwith Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him.

Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holinessis the necessary measure of ordinary Christian lifeand is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.

Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints.

Amen.

With ecclesiastical approval

CARDINAL CAMILLO RUINI
The Holy Father's Vicar General
For the Diocese of Rome

St. Francis Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Prayer to St. Joseph

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Our History

St. Mary's Catholic Church has a history that goes back to before the turn of the 19th century. Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission was established in Marfa in 1875 and was served by priests in Fort Stockton. The very small building was located west of the present city limits of Marfa. In 1889 the population of Marfa and the surrounding area became great enough that Our Lady of Guadalupe was established as a parish.

As a parish, Marfa gained its own resident priest. The parish served all of Brewster and Presidio counties, an area of about 8,000 square miles and included the churches in Presidio, Valentine and Fort Davis. By 1914 when the Diocese of El Paso was established apart from the Diocese of San Antonio, there were four priests stationed in Marfa. They cared for eight missions and twenty three stations - private homes where small communities gathered. Three of the priests would go out on horseback for twenty six days, return for three days rest, then three of the four would go out again for another twenty six days.

The cornerstone of the church building for the new parish was dated 1889. However, the people ran out of funds and building was delayed for a time. During this time, services were held in a building which had been a wool storehouse. When funds again became available, the church, the church was finished.

From the time the parish was established in 1889 with one priest until 1912 when there were four priests, there was no rectory. The priests lived in the back rooms of the church building. Property was purchased at various times in the first decade of the 1900's until it extended to the block of its present location. A rectory was built in 1912.

In 1922 Bishop Forest of San Antonio purchased the site of the old Murphy state. A Catholic school was immediately opened in the Murphy home and was known as St. Mary's School. It was later moved to grounds adjacent to the church. St. Mary's School was maintained by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word until September 1973 when the Sisters of the Sacred Heart and of the Poor came. They stayed until the school was closed in 1986 because of rising costs and dwindling enrollment.

In 1917 a second church building, Sacred Heart Church, was built at the northwest corner of Highland Ave. and San Antonio St. It was dedicated by Bishop Anthony Schuler, the first Bishop of El Paso, on December 27, 1917. That same year Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was enlarged and remodeled. In 1945, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was again enlarged and two towers were added. The name of the Church was changed to St. Mary's.

In 1959, St. Mary's Church and Sacred Heart Church were made one and the Sacred Heart property was sold. With proceeds from the sale and donations from parishioners and friends, St. Mary's was enlarged. Furnishings and materials from the Sacred Heart Church, including adobe bricks and the stained glass windows, were used to renovate and beautify St. Mary's Church.