During Holy Week, from March 27th to April 6th, 2026, Pre‑Novices from Tijuana and seven young adult Affiliates traveled together through the rural regions of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz.. Through the generous support of Oblate Partners and Serving Hands, these young missionaries, accompanied by Fr. Jesse, brought the presence of Christ to some of the poorest and most isolated communities in southern Mexico. These are places where there is no resident priest and where the sacraments are a rare and treasured gift.

The Mission Begins

After arriving in Mexico City, the group joined missionaries from the Mexican Province and continued with a long and exhausting fifteen hour bus ride into remote mountainous regions. Many of the villages they served are hidden deep within the hills and are difficult to reach. Their fatigue quickly gave way to purpose as they arrived just before Palm Sunday, ready for ten days of intense missionary service.

During their stay, the young missionaries became instruments of hope. They assisted with Holy Week liturgies, organized prayer services and processions, visited the sick and elderly in their homes, distributed food to families in need, and shared their faith through their presence, their listening, and their love. In communities often forgotten, they became a visible sign that God remains close to His people.

A Doctor Returns to Fulfill a Promise

Among the missionaries was Dr. Erik Solis, a young physician from Tijuana. Years earlier, he had participated in the same youth programs and received a scholarship that allowed him to pursue medical studies. Now, as a doctor, he continues to serve both his parish and those most in need.

During this mission, Dr. Solis was assigned to a remote village in Oaxaca with no clinic, no pharmacy, and no regular access to healthcare. A nurse occasionally visits, but for most residents, the nearest hospital is more than two hours away. In this place of great need, Dr. Solis became a lifeline. He visited the homebound, treated illnesses, corrected harmful medical practices, and brought physical healing, dignity, and hope to those who had long felt abandoned.

Years before, as a young man walking through these same villages, he had been deeply moved by the lack of medical care. He made a prayer that if God was calling him to become a doctor, he would one day return to serve these very people. This Holy Week, that prayer was fulfilled. He returned not as a visitor, but as a healer.

Encounters That Change Lives

The Pre Novices and Affiliates were profoundly transformed by the people they met. They encountered individuals marked by poverty, illness, and loneliness, yet also by deep faith and resilience.

One encounter left a lasting impression. Santiago, an elderly man who lives alone and has lost one of his legs, is unable to work and depends on the generosity of others. When the missionaries brought him a simple bag of food, he was overwhelmed with gratitude. His joy was not rooted in the material gift but in the love and presence of those who visited him. His radiant smile became a powerful testimony that true richness is found in faith and gratitude.

These experiences opened the eyes of the young missionaries. They witnessed communities that celebrate Mass only once a month and places where the Eucharist is longed for but rarely available. They saw the urgent need for priests, for committed lay missionaries, and for hearts willing to serve. Many felt their missionary zeal deepen and their desire to give their lives more fully to God grow stronger.

Where Vocations Take Root

From experiences like these, vocations are born. In Tijuana, the Lord has been abundantly generous. Today, eight young men from our parish are in formation with the Oblates in the seminary. This August, three more young men will apply to the Pre-Novitiate program in Tijuana.

When young people encounter the transformative power of service and see the impact of love lived concretely, they begin to discover a deeper meaning for their lives. The joy of giving becomes a compass that guides them toward purpose and hope. This is the vision of Eugene de Mazenod: to awaken in young hearts a passion for Christ and a commitment to the most abandoned.

During this Holy Week, in the mountains and villages of southern Mexico, that vision came alive once again.