From Juventud y Familia Misionera, El Paso chapter
FORT DAVIS — During Easter week, families of a dynamic Catholic missionary group from El Paso came to Fort Davis and other towns for four nights and five days of Holy Week to evangelize and spread the love of God. The group of 35, hosted in Fort Davis at the parish hall of St. Joseph Catholic Church, was made up of 12 families — children, teenagers and adults. Accompanying them was Father Salvador Fernández, L.C., a charismatic member of the Legionnaires of Christ, a religious congregation of priests.
Who are they?
Juventud y Familia Misionera / Youth & Family Missionaries is a Roman Catholic international evangelization organization that began in Mexico in the late 1980s and has spread to the U.S. According to musician Ricardo Perez, who with his wife Armida are two of the Fort Davis group’s leaders: “For 15 years, the El Paso chapter has come to most parishes of rural west Texas for Holy Week. Our missionaries are young people and Catholic families who want to share the Gospel message with others and also to grow in their own faith. We always have the support of local parish priests and of Bishop Mark Seitz, who leads the Diocese of El Paso.”
Throughout the week, the missionaries visited homes, sharing the Word of God. They also assisted in the celebration of the Easter Triduum (the three-day celebration of Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday) — bringing to life the liturgical richness of Holy Week.
In addition to the mission in Ft. Davis, other groups of Juventud y Familia Misionera served in the communities of Saragosa-Balmorhea, Kermit, Monahans, Pecos, Marathon, and across the region. On the last day, Easter Sunday, all the groups met at St. Joseph church in Fort Davis for a final joyful celebration of Holy Mass by three priests and 325 people — youth and positive energy abounded! See a short, happy video clip on Instagram taken that day — https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIr5UEOMVmK/