Tag Archives: Bishop Mark J. Seitz

Sunday evening a coalition of service organizations and community advocates released a joint statement, asking City and County leaders in El Paso to provide relief in the form of direct payments to vulnerable local residents and small business owners, who are unable to access federal stimulus funds.

The request comes as the City and County are evaluating how to allocate federal disaster relief funding intended to sustain communities impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

“The Paso del Norte Community Foundation is deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of the residents of our region. This is a moment when our community can stand together, united to meet the great challenges ahead of us with compassion and generosity,” Tracy Yellen, CEO, Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Paso del Norte Community Foundation said.

“We stand ready to collaborate with the City and County to ensure that struggling families and individuals receive the critical support they need now.”

The coalition, which includes the El Paso Community Foundation, the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, Texas State Senator José Rodriguez, Bishop Mark J. Seitz, local social service agencies and immigrant rights organizations, has come together to collaborate on innovative and effective ways to provide critical emergency support.

“With God’s help, we will get to the other side of this current crisis together. The challenges ahead of us will demand new levels of solidarity and leadership from all of us, including our elected officials, who I know are up to the challenge,” Most Rev. Mark J. Seitz, Bishop of El Paso said. “They have my full support and collaboration in establishing a bold new fund to help those most impacted by the current crisis.”

In order to channel aid to the most vulnerable in our community now, the coalition is asking that federal dollars available to local governments through the CARES Act be leveraged together with philanthropic and private contributions through an innovative emergency relief fund.

Dylan Corbett, Executive Director, Hope Border Institute talked of the strength through diversity that the region has.

“Our borderland community is a vibrant, diverse and interconnected community of families and individuals who have lived in the region and contributed economically for months, years or generations. From an economic and moral perspective, it is important to ensure equitable access to relief to all El Paso residents and tax-paying families. This is an unprecedented opportunity for all of us — government, philanthropy and community organizations — to come to the table now to rebuild our community even stronger.”

While many El Pasoans have benefited from relief through the CARES Act, many individuals and families were left behind, either because they do not earn enough money to file taxes, because they were born abroad or because they are US citizens with family ties to foreign-born residents.

According to the group, tens of thousands of these El Paso families and individuals have been excluded from critical support like paid leave, unemployment insurance benefits, individual and family stimulus checks and small business support, even as the economic crisis leaves many without enough resources to sustain themselves.

“Thousands of people in our community are suffering the effects of this pandemic, said Eric Pearson, CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation. “This is a time for all of us to come together and work out the best way to care for our neighbors, businesses, and others. No one can do this alone.”

“This unprecedented challenge is also an unprecedented opportunity. Regardless of where we were born or what we do, right now El Pasoans are standing together with love and looking out for one another,” Laura Ponce, Executive Director, Project BRAVO adds. “Our community’s social service organizations stand ready to work in partnership with our strong community coalition and our City and County to make a real difference in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Several  communities in Texas have established similar funds in the millions of dollars, including Harris County, Hidalgo County and the City of Austin.

“Emergency support will provide an essential bridge for struggling families and ensure a broad-based economic recovery once this crisis passes,” officials added.

“The El Paso community has great needs and great heart. Together, we can help fill gaps that threaten to leave families without food, shelter, and other necessities. Everyone in our community is essential. I look forward to continuing to work with local elected and nonprofit leaders to identify and serve those in need,” State Senator José Rodriguez stated.

Supporting organizations and individuals include: Abara Borderland Connections; Catholic Charities of Southern New Mexico; Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach; Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services; Diocesan Peace and Justice Ministry; El Paso Community Foundation; El Paso Health Sciences and Policy Research Group; Hope Border Institute; Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center; Mexicanos en el Exilio; Paso del Norte Community Foundation; Project BRAVO; Texas State Senator José Rodriguez; Most Rev. Mark J. Seitz, Bishop of El Paso.

On Monday, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso and Dylan Corbett,  executive director of the HOPE Border Institute, announced the launch of a new emergency fund, the ‘Border Refugee Assistance Fund’, to assist migrants stranded at the US-Mexico border.

Thousands of migrants, mostly from Central America, are currently stranded in Ciudad Juárez, across the border from El Paso.

These migrants have been returned to Ciudad Juárez as a  result of the Migration Protection Protocols, commonly known as Remain in Mexico.

“The need in Juarez is  tremendous,” Bishop Seitz said, “Churches and community-led initiatives there are doing everything possible to feed, clothe and offer shelter to thousands of migrant families fleeing desperate conditions and looking for safety  and refuge. Here we have a real opportunity to serve Christ in the migrant.”

Grants from the fund will be used to support the initiatives and shelters providing for the  immediate humanitarian needs of migrants in Ciudad Juárez, the majority of which have been  organized by faith communities.

Dylan Corbett, executive director of HOPE, added, “We are proud to partner with Bishop Seitz  for this critical opportunity to support migrants at the US-Mexico border. Faith communities and  individuals across the country have asked how they can help at the border and this is a concrete way to  make a difference in the lives of migrant families in need.”

More details and information on how to donate to the fund may be found at the Diocese of El  Paso’s webpage.

In honor of Bishop Mark J. Seitz’s 5th anniversary, the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso launched the 545Fund, a campaign to raise resources for the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund.

The Most Rev. Seitz was installed the Bishop for the Diocese of El Paso on July 9, 2013.

The Bishop’s Scholarship Fund provides scholarships for students enrolling in the 6th grade or above and are renewable for as long as the student attends an El Paso Catholic school and remains in good standing.

The amount of individual Bishop’s Scholarship awards range from $500 to $6,000 annually.

According to the foundation, their goal is to grow the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund to $500,000 to provide an annual distribution of $20,000 for students to attend Catholic school.

Since 2001, the Catholic Foundation has raised $15 million for endowment, raises $2 million each year through the Progress Appeal and $1 million annually from outside grants.

The Foundation manages 88 separate endowment funds.

The Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso is an independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization established in 2001 to support the growing needs of the Catholic community.

On Friday, Bishop Mark J. Seitz and the Diocese of El Paso announced new assignments for seven priests in the area.

Via a news release, diocese official shared, “The primary goal of assigning a priest to a parish community is to best match the priest’s gifts to the needs of the parish.  The Diocese of El Paso has many beloved priests throughout the diocese and wishes to extend its profound gratitude to all who serve so faithfully.”

A priest is ordained to the Church and not to a particular parish so the needs of the entire community and the diocese are considered first when making new priest assignments.

“Inspired by the words spoken by Jesus to his disciples, “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them disciples: baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit “(Matthew 28:19), the Diocese of El Paso is heading out further East.”

The diocese is taking the first steps towards establishing a Far East El Paso Catholic Community. The newly formed community will be a Mission of St. Mark Parish and will work in conjunction with other surrounding parishes.

Ultimately, the diocese plans to establish a future parish to serve the faithful in this rapidly growing area East of Joe Battle/Loop 375 between Montana and Vista Del Sol.  The diocese has set up initial offices at 3000 Tim Foster.

Diocese officials added, “The Diocese of El Paso wishes to express its deepest gratitude to Father James W. “Buzz” Hall who after many years of service throughout the diocese will be retiring in June 2018.”

“We ask the faithful to pray for our priests who have received new assignments as they prepare to move to new places of ministry.  We ask that they continue to be inspired, strengthened and guided by the Holy Spirit.”

Assignments are effective June 22, 2017.

The following are the new priest assignments:

Rev. Saul Pacheco                  St. Mark, Administrator of new Far East El Paso Mission – St. Mark, Parochial Vicar

Rev. Mark Salas                      Pastor, Our Lady of Assumption

Rev. Gleen Carpe                   Administrator, St. Thomas-St. Joseph Kermit, Texas

Rev. Frank Hernandez           Parochial Vicar, St. Mark

Rev. Cong Vo                          Parochial Vicar, St. Pius

Deacon Victorino Lorezca     After June 28 Ordination will be Parochial Vicar, St. Raphael

Deacon German Alzate          After June 28 Ordination Alzate will return to Mundelein Seminary in Chicago to complete his studies

Rev. James W. “Buzz” Hall     Retired

Bishop Mark J. Seitz will be celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe twice on Tuesday, December 12th.

Bishop Seitz will celebrate Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Fabens at 6 a.m., then at Our Lady of Guadalupe- El Paso at 6 p.m.  Bishop Seitz released the following statement about the celebration and its meaning.

“This year on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe we will not only honor our Blessed Mother, the mother of Jesus, as the Patroness of the Americas, since she appeared in this new world soon after Christianity arrived here, and Patroness of the Unborn, since she is shown as a woman who is expecting a child, but we will also honor her as the Patroness of our Families, particularly our migrant families.  

At a time when national borders are depicted as places of conflict and division Our Lady of Guadalupe stands as a reminder of God’s special care for all the people of this hemisphere, but especially for the native peoples who were here long before national borders were drawn.

This year’s celebration to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe is a time to renew the commitment of our border Church to accompany families that come to the United States seeking refuge and a new opportunity to live in peace and security. This year we will be praying in a special way for Mary’s maternal care toward those families that are separated from one another because of harsh outdated immigration laws.

In a special way we will be praying for our young Dreamer community in El Paso and elsewhere.  We know they have a special place in Mary’s heart.”

Who:

Bishop Mark J. Seitz and The Catholic Diocese of El Paso

What: 

Public Invited and All are Welcome to Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day Masses celebrated by Bishop Mark J. Seitz

Where: 

Our Lady of Guadalupe-Fabens at 127 W. Main Street 79838

Our Lady of Guadalupe-El Paso at 2709 Alabama St. 79930

When: 

Tuesday December 12, 2017

6 am at Our Lady of Guadalupe- Fabens at 127 W. Main Street 79838

6 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe- El Paso at 2709 Alabama St. 79930- Matachines will perform