Mexico - Vice Province of St. Mary of Guadalupe

For more Information in Mexico:
Casa de Formacion
Arenal 10, Santa Ursula Xitla
14420 Tlalpan, D.F., Mexico

Many things happen because of "who one knows" rather than "what one knows."

Friendship was definitely the cause of the presence of the TORs in Mexico. In 1951 Fr. Ordinas, a Theatine priest wrote a letter to a fellow Majorcan, Fr. Rafael Ginard Amoros, "In Mexico City we have more than we can do and they are offering us even more. Now is the time for you to come and begin a foundation."

In 1951 the council of the Spanish commissariat met. Delaying the decision risked losing the good will of the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Mexico City. It was decided to send Fr. Juan Domenge to care for a chapel in Colonia de Moctezuma.

Fr. Antonio Bauzer, provincial Minister, went to Mexico in 1952 to discuss the offer of another church. He learned of the great need for priests in Mexico City. It was experiencing a population explosion. The anti-clerical Constitution of 1917 limited the number of priests that could be ordained. The effects of this law caused a serious shortage of priests. Fr. Bauza and his council approved the offer of the Archdiocese.

The friars built a new church near Senor del Buen Despacho and dedicated it to Divina Providencia. The Archdiocese entrusted the parish of San Pio X to the friars in 1957 and later two other parishes. The friars purchased property in Atizapan de Zaragoza to build a minor seminary.

In 1963 the Spanish Province seperated Mexico from the Commissariat of the USA and made it a dependent commissariat. Fr. Miguel Pacual was appointed its leader.

The friars opened a minor seminary to train young men of high school age. In 1981 the commissariate established the Novitiate at Atizapan. On the same property they built the Casa de la Juventud as a youth apostolate. In 1984 the commissariate opened a house at Tlalpan for philosophy and theology students.

At the Provincial Chapter of 1997 the capitular friars established Mexico and Texas as a Vice Province. Later that year Fr. Bonaventure Midili, general minister, erected the Vice Province of St. Mary of Guadalupe. Fr. Mateo Garcia was elected provincial minister.

The new Vice Province has thrity-three friar priests and eleven friar students. They have five parishes in Mexico, four in Texas. The friars of the vice province proclaim the Word of God in the classroom, in hospitals, in the mass media and  in retreats for children and youth.