The Archdiocese of San Antonio
In 1947, the US Province became involved in Hispanic ministry in the Archdiocese of San Antonio upon the request of Archbishop Robert Lucey. We developed several parishes on the west side of San Antonio. It was and still is the poorest section of town. The majority of families have low incomes. Some are new immigrants from Mexico.

Starting with St. Agnes Church, we made pastoral contributions to many parishes on the west side of San Antonio and in some rural towns close to San Antonio. In San Antonio: St. John Berchmans, Immaculate Conception, St. Stephen, St. Jude's, Good Counsel, San Martin de Porres, St. Gabriel's, Holy Family, and St. Philip's; outside the city: parishes in Dilley, Nixon, Poth, Selma, Pleasanton, Pearsall, Devine, Lytle, Somerset, and Poteet.

Many of these parishes had been served by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Some were missions (chapels) of other west side parishes and we developed them into full parishes. Our confreres learned Spanish and the Mexican-American culture to be able to minister more effectively among the Mexican American families.

After the Vatican II council, a greater effort was made to inculturate the Catholic faith in the Mexican American parishes. Under the inspiration of MACC (the Mexican American Cultural Center), more elements of the Mexican culture were integrated in the liturgies, sacraments and catechesis. Several confreres served on the staff of MACC.

More and more confreres integrated the rich faith elements of the popular religiosity of the Mexican American people whom they served: the devotion to our Lady of Guadalupe, the posadas, the via cruces, the Mexican traditional religious songs and dances like the matachines.

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During Pentecost, we celebrate by gathering all the members of the Basic Christian Communities of the parishes where Missionhurst works and as one church we celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit.

This presence is still very much alive in the neighborhoods where these groups meet weekly to reflect on the Gospel and try to put the challenges of the Gospel into practice. This day - Pentecost - is very special for the BCC since they are the "re-birthing" or renewing of the Church.

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We brought Spanish choirs together to promote new Spanish liturgical songs and helped to publish the first Mexican American Spanish hymnal with S.A.M.M.A, San Antonio Music Ministry Association.

We helped to connect several west side parishes with C.O.P.S., Communities Organized for Public Service. This community organizing effort has been giving so many of our parishioners an opportunity to grow as Christian leaders in the public arena and to put their faith into action, a faith that does justice. We also sent many of our confreres and parishioners to the national training of the Industrial Areas Foundation to become more competent leaders.

Today CICM still serves in four city parishes on the west side of San Antonio: Our Lady of Good Counsel, San Martin de Porres, St. Gabriel's and, since 1995, Sacred Heart Parish under contract (1995-2000). Outside San Antonio City, we still serve the parishes of Somerset, Lytle, Divine and Poteet.

Some confreres are working among prisoners and ex-offenders, with the youth, in hospitals and at Mount Sacred Heart School. Since our CICM formation house and two residences for senior confreres are located in San Antonio, we envision that we will continue to serve in a few parishes and in other ministries with the poorest and the marginalized in the archdiocese.

Diocese of Brownsville
In 1985 we started a CICM missionary presence in the Rio Grande Valley in the Diocese of Brownsville. This diocese is one of the poorest dioceses in the USA and in great need of pastoral agents for evangelization. We were welcomed by Bishop John Fitzpatrick.

Three CICM teams of two confreres were formed to serve the parishes of Assumption in Harlingen, St. Therese's in San Benito and St. Ignatius in El Ranchito with four missions. We committed ourselves to work in line with the pastoral priorities of the Diocese of Brownsville for a term of five years: lay ministry formation, evangelization through C.E.B's, basic Christian communities, pastoral council and parish committee development, youth ministry, R.C.I.A., and community organizing with Valley Interfaith.

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A Real Fiesta!
As part of the Pentecost celebration in 1997 at San Martin de Porres in Alton, the people perform dances, skits and songs.

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Every year the CICM parishes come together to celebrate World Mission Sunday and it has become a tradition to gather the C.E.B.'s, basic Christian communities, of the CICM parishes to celebrate the feast of Pentecost every year.

In 1991 we started a second contract of five years that was extended until 1999 to serve St. Joseph the Worker parish in McAllen, Sacred Heart in Hidalgo, San Martin de Porres in Alton. One confrere who specialized in hospital ministry began his ministry at the McAllen Medical Center that year.

Many young confreres have made their internship with other CICM's in the Valley. This has been a very positive experience. They had the opportunity to learn the border culture. Our CICM contribution to evangelization in the Diocese of Brownsville is appreciated by the bishop and many pastoral agents who know us. We have developed these parishes into more "missionary parishes" with a strong sense of evangelization in the neighborhoods and among all age groups.

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