Catholic Extension has selected Sister Willem to receive the 2018-2019 Lumen Christi Award, the highest honor bestowed on a missionary working in the United States. Working across many countries, Sister Willem has been serving the poor for more than 60 years. She believes strong families are the foundation of the Church and society.

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.