Franciscans ~ Vincente Guerrero In 1997, Los Embajadores began working with the Franciscan community at La Parroquia Cristo Rey in Vicente Guerrero, a small town five hours south of the border on the Baja Peninsula. Vicente Guerrero is a rural and agrarian community with a large population of migrant workers from Southern Mexico. It is home to a number of farms, whose main crops include tomatoes and strawberries. Groups here work with the Franciscans at Cristo Rey Parish, helping to further their mission by working on constructing chapels, basketball courts, classroom or retreat buildings, and other facilities in the area. The Franciscans work in a network of chapels that stretch about thirty minutes north and south of the main parish. They also run a local secondary school, and Cristo Rey is home to a Novitiate for Franciscans in formation. Staying at and working in Vicente Guerrero offers a unique opportunity for groups to enter into the Franciscans' spirituality and their commitment to the poor. The joy for life and deep compassion of this community never fails to impress itself upon those who work here. Groups that visit Vicente Guerrero stay in two classrooms just behind the church. They wake each morning and are able to attend mass at the parish church. Often they work directly on site. On other occasions they divide into smaller groups and work off site at one of the nearby chapels. After work, they participate in a variety of activities: playing with children in local neighborhoods, visiting migrant camps and a packing plant, or playing sports with the Franciscan community. Vicente Guerrero offers groups an experience of life in a small Mexican town where traditional cultures and modern economic change interplay. We all pushed ourselves further than we thought we could physically and mentally because of community, encouragement, and a great cause. I also learned more about Mexican culture as well as Francican spirituality - awesome! To see a sample daily schedule with the Franciscans in Vicente Guerrero, please click on the pdf link below. To find out more about the Franciscans, please see Franciscan links Vicente Guerrero Image Gallery
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