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In 1974, we were invited to collaborate with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in California, USA, where we have attended to the spiritual needs of parishes distinguished by the ethnic diversity of their congregations, composed of Anglo-Americans, Koreans, and Latinos, among others.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
We are delighted to welcome you to the website of the Guadalupe Missioners in the United States.
The Guadalupe Missioners have been present in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since January 1974, but it was in 2021 that it was decided to elevate our presence and pastoral work in this country to the rank of “Mission of the United States of America.”
In the more than fifty years we have been in this country, we have learned that the United States is a land of mission, since in recent years this country has promoted and favored a secular culture that has spread throughout the world. In this culture, the existence of God is denied, and Christian culture is openly attacked. Throughout the country, more and more laws are being passed that promote the culture of death or go against the concept of the traditional family. The Good News of Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and as such we proclaim it and bring it to life in our daily journey, because this is the Mission of the Church, that is, the Mission of each one of us who is baptized in Christ.
The Church’s mission faces many challenges in the multicultural, multiracial, and multi-ideological context of American society. Apart from the initial proclamation of the Gospel, we must also pay attention to the re-evangelization of those who have already been baptized. Furthermore, the formation of agents of evangelization is very important.
The reality is that the vast majority of the residents of this country are migrants or, in some cases, first, second, or third generation migrants. Failure to accept this reality leads to persecution based on skin color, language, or social status, which are clearly anti-Christian attitudes.
These are some of the most challenging characteristics of American society and guide our apostolate.
Here in the United States—particularly in California—we serve in close communion with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, working together to bring Christ’s love, hope, and mercy to the People of God. Encouraged by the grace of the Holy Spirit, our priests accompany three parish communities where faith is celebrated and lived in a vibrant way. These parrishes are: Sta. Martha Catholic Parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church & Our Lady of Solitude Parish
Globally, faithful to our call to go “where we are most needed,” we are present in:
ASIA: – Japan – South Korea – Hong Kong – Indonesia.
AFRICA: – Kenya – Angola – Mozambique – Tunisia.
AMERICA: – Mexico – Cuba – Guatemala – The Amazon.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about our mission and ministry. May this website be the means by which we form and strengthen the bonds of our missionary family in the joy of the Gospel.
I pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe will intercede for you and your loved ones, and that her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless you abundantly.
With gratitude and prayer,
Fr. Salvador Rojas Vega, MG
Director of the Mission in the United States
Guadalupe Missioners
Browse moments from our parishes, missions, and community events. See how faith is lived, celebrated, and shared through the work of the Guadalupe Missioners.
Discover where we serve across the globe and how our missionaries bring the Gospel, pastoral care, and formation to communities most in need.
Read featured updates, reflections, and mission news from ALMAS. Stay connected with our spiritual work, outreach efforts, and upcoming initiatives.
3:00pm Mass
4:30pm Reception
Sta. Maria Magdalena Catholic Church, 1241 S. Corning St. Los Angeles, CA 90035
Visit our Guadalupe Missioners booth!
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
4245 Acacia Avenue
Pico Rivera, CA 90660
For more information, please call: (323) 937-2780
As a Padrino or Madrina, you walk alongside our missionaries in spirit, helping bring the Gospel to those who long for Christ in places where hope is most needed. Through your prayers and support, you become part of a living mission that reaches hearts around the world.
We are deeply grateful for your generous support, which sustains the formation of our missionaries and strengthens our priests in their work of proclaiming the Gospel.
Thank you for opening your heart to this mission. May our Lord bless you abundantly, and may Our Lady of Guadalupe lovingly protect you and your family always.
Your generosity helps us continue our mission to serve the spiritual and physical needs of our parish and the wider community. Thank you for supporting our ministries.
Pastor – Fr. Alejandro Mendez, MG
Associate Pastor – Fr. Enrique Hernandez, MG
Associate Pastor – Fr. Jerry A. Gutierrez
Office Administrator – Nelly Laura Calderon
Pastor – Fr. Carlos May Correa, MG
Associate Pastor – Fr. Jorge Cruz, MG
Associate Pastor – Fr. Ruben Jesus Reyes Hernandez
Office Administrator – Elena Hernandez
Administrator – Fr. Victor Zavala, MG
Associate Pastor – Fr. Gunther Alejandro Weigend Hernandez, MG
Associate Administrator – Rev. Deacon Sergio Perez
Office Manager – Fabiola Garcia



















JAPAN: Japan is the country where we carried out our first missionary service (1956); it gave us the challenge of becoming one with our Japanese brothers and sisters, adapting to their culture and traditions, learning the language, in order to communicate the Gospel of the Lord. Today, Japan is an economically developed, cultured, and educated country, but the vast majority of its inhabitants still do not know the “true God, for whom we live.”
SOUTH KOREA: Korea was our second mission (1962). We arrived just after the war that devastated that country had ended. From the beginning, the Korean people showed openness to receiving the word of God and gratitude for receiving it; this situation helped the people to be spiritually ready to encounter God. Today, thank God, Korea is experiencing a good number of priestly and religious vocations.
HONG KONG: (1975) Since arriving in this beautiful land, our dream has been to evangelize mainland China, the most populous country in the world, of which Hong Kong is a part. We rejoice in these 50 years and more of missionary work in this “fragrant harbor.”
INDONESIA: On October 7, 2023, the Guadalupe Missioners, responding to the call to be a Church that reaches out, ventured into the Muslim world for the first time, founding the Mission of Indonesia, where we bring our faith and witness hand in hand with Saint Mary of Guadalupe.
KENYA: In 1965, the first Guadalupe Missionaries arrived in this African country. Currently, our priests are present in this nation, accompanied by lay missionaries who, in addition to sharing their faith, also share their profession in favor of Kenyan communities.
ANGOLA: We began this mission in January 1981, in the midst of a war that bled the country dry: insecurity, hunger, suffering of the people and the Church, with many priests, religious, and catechists murdered, but with a great thirst for God. Today the war is over. The seed has borne fruit: the Guadalupe Missioners trained more than 100 priests in the seminary, some of whom are now bishops. Let us pray to the Lord for all of them. May they in turn be The Father’s Missioners.
MOZAMBIQUE: (2000). Like Angola, Mozambique suffered the pain of war. Today, it has great needs in terms of economics, health, education, and spiritual care. This has been an enormous challenge. Since our inception, the Guadalupe Missioners have worked with joy and hope so that socio-political stability will soon be achieved and a Church willing to present the Face of Christ to all its children will increasingly reemerge.
TUNISIA: On December 12, 2023, Guadalupe Missioners took on the challenge of bringing and sharing the Gospel of Life in the Muslim world, founding the Mission of Tunisia, always guided by our star of evangelization, Saint Mary of Guadalupe.
PERU: Our first mission in Latin America, born out of an urgent request from its bishops in the face of a serious shortage of priests. We continue to collaborate with this sister Church, birthplace of Saint Martin de Porres and Saint Rose of Lima.
BRAZIL: Country of Our Lady of Aparecida. A country suffering from stark economic and social differences, needing the presence of Christ the Redeemer even in the most remote areas of the Amazon rainforest. There we are, the Guadalupe Missioners, serving our Brazilian brothers and sisters and proclaiming Jesus the Savior.
GUATEMALA: Our Mission in Guatemala has been a special face of the Guadalupe Missioners in America. We are present only through the Lay Missionary Associates. We support the local Church, particularly in rural areas.
CUBA: (1995) Known as “the Pearl of the Caribbean.” We accompany, proclaim, and serve with dedication our Cuban brothers and sisters, who for many years have been living with great faith and in need of priestly care, amid difficult socio-political circumstances. Let us pray to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre for our Cuban brothers and sisters and for our Guadalupe Missioners on that beautiful island.
UNITED STATES: In this country, our missionary service consists of helping people to know and live their faith in Christ, particularly our Hispanic brothers and sisters. United States of America: “Land of opportunity,” but very poor spiritually.
THE VATICAN: Pope Pius XII suggested to Bishop Alonso Escalante, the first Superior General, that our Missionary Institute be given the name Guadalupe Missioners, in honor of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of Mexico and all of America.
MEXICO: In 1949, as a result of a missionary congress in Mexico, the bishops of that country decided to found a missionary institute to proclaim the Gospel to those who do not know it. The official name of our institute is: Institute of Saint Mary of Guadalupe for Foreign Missions. The generosity of you, our sponsors, is the foundation for the formation of our seminarians and for the service of our priests in the missions.
We entrust ourselves to Her and ask Her to protect our Peoples from violence and the destruction of our values.
May she protect all of you, our Sponsors and their families, with her mantle; strengthen our faith, and help us realize that she is always with us, for she said:
“Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not in my womb? Why are you afraid?”

P. Jonathan Cruz Alacala, MG
Hello, dear Godfathers and Godmothers of the Missionaries of Guadalupe (MG). This time, I want to share with you from Kenya, Africa, an article about something that does not get talked about very much: loneliness in the priestly ministry.
Some time ago, you may have heard the news about Father Matteo Balsano, a young Catholic priest from a province in Italy who, silently overwhelmed by so many things that happen in the priestly ministry — emotions that can weigh heavily on a priest — sadly chose to end his own life. Yes, a priest died by suicide. It may seem unthinkable, but statistically, it happens.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 720,000 people die by suicide every year — that is one person every 40 seconds. In Mexico, 8,837 suicides were recorded in 2023 alone. The highest rates were concentrated in states such as Chihuahua, Yucatán, Campeche, and Aguascalientes. The most vulnerable groups are young people between 15 and 29 years old, and adults over 60. According to statistics from Brazil, 40 priests took their own lives between 2016 and 2023; in France, seven during that same period; and in Ireland, eight priests over the last ten years.
We might say that a priest is doing fine because we see him smiling, engaged in an intense pastoral schedule, committed to various groups, movements, and even evangelization through social media. Yet even when you see a smile on our faces, loneliness and a sense of being misunderstood often lead us to cry in silence. We ask ourselves: is prayer our greatest tool? It is — but pressure and stress can snuff out that spark, and what should be the engine of our lives can become, over time, a burden that slowly wears us down.
Some psychologists have written about “burnout” — and the truth is that, even as young men, priests can fall into a kind of activism where we leave no room to rest our minds and hearts. Hearing confessions, visiting the sick, searching for solutions, witnessing the poverty that continues to grow in mission territories — at least here in Africa — these things, among others, weigh heavily on the heart.
When we ask you to pray for us, we mean it sincerely — because your prayer strengthens our lives and our ministry. It is a way of feeling supported and accompanied. That is also why Pope Francis himself asked for the help of prayer. God hears our pain, and it never hurts to ask a priest: “How are you? Can I help you with anything? Is there something I can do for you?” — or simply: “Father, let me buy you a coffee” or “Come spend a few days resting in the countryside.” As human beings, we need to fill our emotional voids with spiritual companionship — something we often leave for last, because the priority of pastoral care is always right in front of us. Do not misunderstand me, dear Godfathers and Godmothers — serving does not weigh us down. We were called to this, and it is why we follow in the footsteps of Jesus. But every now and then, we need the warmth of a friend or of family — who, in our case, are thousands of miles away.
That is why your prayer matters. When silence comes knocking at a priest’s door, knowing that you are interceding for us motivates us to place our weakness in the hands of Jesus. It strengthens us like a cool drink of water on a sunny day.
Dear Godfathers and Godmothers, do not forget to pray for us. May God and Our Lady of Guadalupe bless you from these mission lands.

P. Jorge Gutierrez Martinez, MG
Dear Godfathers and Godmothers, I send you a fraternal embrace from the Mission in South Korea. This month, Pope Leo XIV invites us to pray for priests and, in a special way, for those who are going through a season of vocational crisis.
When we speak of crisis, most of us have probably been through one at some point — or perhaps some of us are living through one right now: moments of discomfort, loss, forced growth, misunderstanding, or disillusionment. A crisis does not always mean ruin; sometimes it is the pain of change, the threshold of a deeper renewal.
Yet it is easy to judge someone who is going through a crisis. From the outside, there is a tendency to point and condemn without having personally felt what it means to fall or to doubt. But whoever has already walked through a crisis learns to look with mercy, just as Jesus did with Peter after his denial.
Peter denied Jesus three times during the night of his trial, while the Master was being questioned in the house of the high priest (Mt 26:75). In that moment, Peter found himself caught between two worlds: on one hand, he sincerely loved Jesus, but on the other, fear had taken hold of him. It was not hatred that led him to deny — it was a weak, human, frightened love.
After the Resurrection, on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus waits for him with tenderness. There, a conversation takes place that changes everything (Jn 21:15–17).
Jesus does not question to humiliate, but to heal. Three times he asks: “Do you love me?” Three times, Peter answers: “Lord, you know that I love you.”
We might think Jesus is asking to find out whether Peter still loves him, though he already knew. What he is truly seeking is not information, but restoration. Jesus wants Peter to speak with his lips what his heart still fears to confess, because love is only healed when it is spoken out loud. Each “Do you love me?” erases a previous denial. It is not a judgment — it is a reconciliation.
Peter moves from presumption to humility, from a love that promises everything to a love that acknowledges its own fragility. Jesus does not ask for perfection — he asks for honesty. A wounded love is enough for him, as long as it is real.
Today, many priests, like Peter, live their own nights of denial and their own dawns. Some serve with exhaustion, others in silence, some feeling that the fire of their first love has turned to ash. They do not do this out of a lack of faith, but because their love — like Peter’s — is sincere, yet fragile.

Let us pray for them. For those who one day left everything to follow Jesus, and who now walk amid doubts. For those who love, even though they no longer know how to express that love. For those who celebrate Mass between weariness and quiet faithfulness. For those who feel far away and do not know how to return.
May every priest be able to look again at the Lord on the shore and hear his voice with tenderness: “Do you love me more than these?” And may they, even with a trembling voice, be able to answer: “Lord, you know all things — you know that I love you.”
The fire of first love does not disappear; sometimes it simply remains hidden beneath the ashes of weariness, pain, or routine. All it takes is a breath of grace — a word, a glance from Jesus — for it to ignite once more.
May every priest, in his fragility, in his dedication, in his hope, come to discover that Jesus never stops believing in him. And in that simple confession, born between tears and gratitude, may the fire of first love burn again — that fire which does not go out, because it was lit by the very hands of the Risen One.

“Many priests live their own nights of denial and their own dawns. Some serve with exhaustion, others in silence, some feeling that the fire of their first love has turned to ash. They do not do this out of a lack of faith, but because their love — like Peter’s — is sincere, yet fragile.”