On February 17th, the first missionaries of the community arrived in Mexico from Italy. They were welcomed by the bishop of Texcoco, at that time Mgr Carlos Aguiar Retes, who entrusted our community with the pastoral care of the Cristo Rey parish located on the outskirts of the diocese.
The missionaries take time to get to know the people, the territory, its peculiarities, and the traditions and habits of the people. The mission encompasses neighborhoods with different identities and problems.
Space is needed to carry out pastoral activities. The restructuring work begins in a building that will serve as a mission center and house members of the community. Thanks to the new spaces, it is possible to accommodate many people and organize evangelization weekends and training meetings for them.
The first Mexican brothers join our family and enrich it with the uniqueness of the local population.
Construction of the new church begins in Colonia Wenceslao, one of the areas of the mission. Previously, there was only a very precarious wooden chapel.
During the summer, an activity called "Vacaciones útiles" is started, which will be repeated every year. It offers children and adolescents fun and sports activities to help them get off the streets and build friendly relationships.
On the occasion of the feast of the Trinity, on Sunday, May 18, the ten years of presence of the community in Mexico are celebrated. The Mass is presided over by Bishop Victor René, our auxiliary bishop, who emphasized the work we do in the service of the people of God. For this occasion, a festive-colored tent was set up, thanks to the help of some laypeople from the parish who worked for several days to prepare for the anniversary.
Called to consecrate ourselves to God, during celebrations lived with the people, we pronounced the vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and community for the ad gentes mission.
Collaboration with the diocese continues to grow. The young people from the missionary group led the diocesan jubilee for youth on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of our diocese. There were 1,800 young people and adolescents from all the parishes of Texcoco and its surroundings.
The beginning of a gathering that brings together many people and continues to this day. It is a celebration that characterizes the Community of Texcoco and creates a beautiful atmosphere of unity with the people.
The Pontifical Missionary Works of Mexico, very active in proposing missionary activities at the national and international levels, periodically organize conferences for children, youth, and adults, in which we actively participate with themes and/or shows prepared by the young people of the missionary group.
The parish grows by taking on the pastoral care of another colony, Victor Puebla, a neighborhood without water, sewage, and lighting.
The first masses are celebrated outdoors: the construction of a small church begins. We launch a food project to help the most needy families. Subsequently, interventions aimed at training women are initiated, a project to support school children, and the "Casitas" project to repair roofs or improve the condition of houses.
The civil association "Juntos sin Fronteras" was created with the aim of strengthening social activities for the benefit of the population. The medical clinic "San Lorenzo" is inaugurated, offering medical and dental care to the neediest population in the area. Courses for women are launched to allow them to learn a trade.
Through the association Juntos sin Fronteras, we have set up workshops on values and self-esteem, as well as job insertion at the University of Chapingo. We also collaborate with the university pastoral ministry of the Diocese of Texcoco.
We depart for other regions of Mexico with laypeople to assist, especially during Holy Week, in areas that do not have a stable presence of priests, particularly in indigenous territories.
The new structure allows us to accommodate more people, groups, and friends. It becomes an important center of aggregation and social cohesion for many people. We are delighted to see that on weekends all spaces are used by young people, couples, children, volunteers, and more.
The community is mobilizing to increase aid to the neediest families. The social and health situation is very serious due to the Covid-19 emergency.
