News - Home RSS Feed

The following table contains a list of priests and religious who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors and who have served in parishes located within the territorial limits of the Diocese of Las Cruces before and after its creation. Some of the accusations have arisen when the accused were working in the Southern New Mexico and others are related to accusations made in another diocese.

In recent editions of newspapers in our state, including the Las Cruces Sun-News, a full-page ad has run encouraging Catholics to vote for a particular candidate. It is not the practice of the Catholic Church to promote specific candidates, and this ad was run without the knowledge or permission of our New Mexico dioceses and bishops. Please see their statement about this ad...

This week until November 5, I will be in the Holy Land with a group of Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher from the Diocese of Tucson. This pilgrimage was planned prior to my learning that I would be serving in the Diocese of Las Cruces as Apostolic Administrator. If any of our priests, deacons, religious, or laity have an urgent issue, please contact Faviola Godfrey or Deacon Jim Winder, who will email me about any concerns that cannot what until I return. I appreciate your understanding in this time of transition.

It has been my custom in the Diocese of Tucson, where I served 17 years, to publish a weekly Monday Memo to all serving in our diocese. It is sent to all priests and deacons, parishes and schools, as well as placed on our diocesan Website. I hope to continue that custom while serving in Las Cruces. The memo contains information on what is happening that week along with information that might benefit those in our diocese. This is the first of those memos.

Pope Francis announced today the appointment of Most Reverend Gerald Kicanas, Bishop Emeritus of Tucson, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Las Cruces effective Friday, September 28, 2018. As the diocese's administrator Bishop Kicanas will serve with the powers and responsibilities of the local ordinary until the Holy Father appoints and installs a new bishop for the diocese. Bishop Kicanas asks that we keep him in our prayers.

The summer has brought us disturbing news with the credible allegations of sexual abuse and abuse of power against Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, and the publishing of the Grand Jury Report in Pennsylvania detailing abuse cases by clerics and mismanagement by bishops and other church authorities.

Este verano recibimos la noticia alarmante, con alegaciones creíbles de abuso sexual y abuso de poder en contra del arzobispo Theodore McCarrick, así también recibimos la publicación del reporte del gran jurado del estado de Pennsylvania detallando casos de abuso por el clero y el mal manejo perpetuado por los obispos y otras autoridades eclesiales.

A welcome address presented by Parish Administrator of St. Rita Church, Carrizozo, Father Emmanuel C. Ezenneh, to the Catholic Bishop of Las Cruces Diocese, Most-Rev. Oscar Cantu on July 22, 2018.

The Diocese of Las Cruces learned on Monday, July 16, 2018, that it has been listed as a defendant—along with Holy Family Parish, the Servants of the Paraclete, and the Benedictine Monks, Inc of...

In the Gospel of John, when John the Baptist saw Jesus walking by, he urged two of his disciples to follow him. “There is the Lamb of God,” he said. “Follow him.”

Pope Francis announced today that he has appointed Bishop Oscar Cantú as the Coadjutor Bishop of San Jose, California.

As bishops of a border state, we respond with dismay to President Donald Trump’s overturning of asylum protections for victims of domestic violence and carrying out the practice of separating families to stem migration.

Message from Bishop Cantu on the progress at Santa Rosa de Lima Church in Las Cruces.

The Congress provides a time for lay people, religious men and women, priests, and deacons gather together with their Bishop around the Eucharistic table. There will be time for reconciliation, formation, prayer and fellowship. The Eucharistic Congress is for all the faithful of the diocese, from young children to senior citizens.

Reflections of the Bishops' Pilgrimage for Peace in the Holy Land • January 18, 2018

As most of you are aware, all employee 403(b) accounts have been transferred...

Nosotros los obispos del Estado de Nuevo México hablando por la iglesia católica, nos esforzamos para sostener la dignidad de la persona humana desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural…

We the bishops of the State of New Mexico speak for the Catholic Church. We work to uphold the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death through our pastoral ministries and through our legislative advocacy via the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops.