Sacred Heart Church serves El Paso’s 2nd Neighborhood (“Segundo Barrio”) where about 60 percent of the residents live in poverty, and nearly all speak a language other than English and who have a median household yearly income of just $13,500. The parish seeks our support to repair and restore their historic church so that the parish itself can continue to serve their people.
Give Now
Sacred Heart Church in the Diocese of El Paso is the oldest church in the city, located literally a few steps from the border. Father Rafael Garcia, Sacred Heart’s pastor, said parishioners are committed to seeing the dignity of the human person in everyone who comes to their doorstep. It is not uncommon for hundreds upon hundreds to be camped out in and around the church and the parishioners of Sacred Heart strive to see the face of Christ in all of them.
To meet the needs of so many, Father Rafael and his staff have had to improvise and have converted the parish gym into a shelter. Volunteers bring food and water daily, and medical care is arranged for those sick or in distress. The parish scrapes money together to support and care for as many people as it can every day.
Fr. Rafael and the people of Sacred Heart are not only working to restore the dignity of those who come to them, but they are likewise trying to restore their physical building. The original Sacred Heart church was built in 1892, and through the help of Catholic Extension in 1916, a new church was built. For more than 100 years, Catholic Extension has partnered with Sacred Heart in its mission to serve all of God’s people.
Now, through our 2024 Lenten Almsgiving initiative, we at Christ the Redeemer can help continue that legacy. Your gifts of alms will go to build and restore the physical Church, the Body of Christ, so that the mission of building up the literal Church, the people of God who are the Body of Christ, may flourish at Sacred Heart for generations to come!
In 2023, CtR partnered with Catholic Extension to support the Literacy Wagon program and Migrant Ministry in the Diocese of Yakima, WA. Catholic Extension is a fundraising organization that helps ensure that all American Catholics can practice their faith within vibrant faith communities.
Fr. Jesus Mariscal visited CtR to share more about the Literacy Wagon and its impact on migrant families and children. See the video on this page for his homily from 9 a.m. Mass on Feb. 19, 2023.
Thank you for your support of our 2023 Lenten Almsgiving project! CtR raised $95,023.35 in support of the Literacy Wagon and Migrant Ministries in Yakima!
In Summer 2023, CtR staff members and parishioner Carol Hall traveled to Washington to see firsthand the impact made by the Diocese of Yakima's Migrant Ministries and Literacy Wagon programs. See the video below for images and testimony by Carol.