Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces Review

About Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces

The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces is the official home of the Catholic Church in Southern New Mexico. The diocese was established on August 17, 1982, by Pope John Paul II and encompasses an area of over 44,000 square miles. It serves a diverse population of over 300,000 Catholics across six counties in Southern New Mexico.

The diocese is led by Bishop Peter Baldacchino who was appointed as the bishop on July 23, 2019. He succeeded Bishop Oscar Cantú who served as the bishop from February 28, 2013 to September 28, 2018.

The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces has a rich history that dates back to the early days of Spanish colonization in New Mexico. The first Mass was celebrated in what is now known as Las Cruces in April of 1851 by Father Jean-Baptiste Lamy who later became Archbishop Lamy of Santa Fe.

Today, the diocese has over fifty parishes and missions that serve communities throughout Southern New Mexico. These parishes offer a wide range of services including religious education programs for children and adults, sacramental preparation classes for baptism and confirmation, marriage preparation courses for engaged couples and pastoral care for those who are sick or dying.

In addition to its parishes and missions, the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces also operates several schools including Holy Cross Catholic School in Las Cruces which offers education from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The diocese also sponsors several charitable organizations such as Casa de Peregrinos which provides food assistance to families in need throughout Dona Ana County.

One unique aspect about this diocese is its commitment to social justice issues such as immigration reform and environmental stewardship. In recent years it has been actively involved with advocacy groups working towards comprehensive immigration reform at both state and national levels.

Another important aspect about this diocese is its outreach efforts towards young people through various youth programs such as Youth Ministry Office (YMO) which provides opportunities for young people to grow spiritually while having fun with their peers.

Overall, The Catholic Diocese Of Las Cruces plays an important role within Southern New Mexico's community providing spiritual guidance along with social justice initiatives that help make our world a better place.