Mexico Mission, the story of a parish response to need ...

A parish mission of help and service can have a variety of origins, some of which are beyond our understanding for the way in which they influence the outcome. Early in 2002 after contacting two retired couples in Texas near the border, John Brost, a member of St. Patrick Parish, Oxford, asked his pastor if it would be possible to pursue a mission effort to go to Mexico to build homes for the homeless. The idea came out of his experience with habitat, and some other missionary experiences with another group; he wanted to see if his parish could respond.

John got the green light and began to promote a mission to Mexico that would go one week in November to build homes for the homeless. The first week in November, 2002 saw 14 from St. Patrick Parish and its environs go work in three villages in northern Mexico near the border town of Progresso. It did not seem like much of a start, but the seeds were sown, and the rest is now history.

The Mexico Mission of St. Patrick Parish now recruits missionaries from all over Indiana, as is evidenced by the listing of missionaries on this page. Our only advertising is a multi column ad that appears in The Catholic Moment twice in the summer months, and the power of word of mouth stories. The missionary group includes very ordinary people with a spirit of adventure, willing to serve the needs of the homeless. The parish coordinator, John Brost has been blessed to be able to work with some very helpful couples in the Mercedes/Weslaco area who are very active volunteers with the people in the villages served.

In 2006 grace, ambition, and faith gave way to planning two different weeks a year for the mission, one in November the week before Thanksgiving, and one in February. Two of our missionaries, George and Bernadine Roberts of All Saints Parish, Logansport, have committed to driving and pulling a trailer with the tools, clothing, computers, and other items for the mission week. During the mission week in November, 2007 a sign was commissioned for the central distribution center in one of the villages, and shamrocks were make from cedar, painted green (of course) and numbers obtained to give the units built a street number. During the week of November 2007 the shamrocks were mounted and we counted 62 identified sites of construction since the first mission in 2002!

The mission continues! There is no let up. In November it is the week before Thanksgiving, and in February it is determined each year. This year, 2008 the week is Feb. 23- Mar. 1. A week begins on Saturday morning early at St. Patrick Church with the rite of commissioning during liturgy, and ends on the following Saturday night whenever the schedule allows the group to get back from air arrival at Midway Airport, Chicago.

Enrollment in the mission expedition is limited. Numbers are determined according to the limits of people based on seven per vehicle going into Mexico. Passports are required now to get back into the U.S. For all inquiries, information, forms, and dates, please contact by phone or e-mail:

John Brost
Home (765) 385-5301
Work (765) 385-0023