Parish History

St. John Paul II Parish Initial Plans

May all our efforts be for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of souls! Bishop Oscar Cantú, in consultation with the Presbyteral Council and others, decided to establish a new parish under the heavenly patronage of St. John Paul II.

Brief History

For the last several years local parishioners with the assistance and encouragement of priests assigned to San Martin de Porres parish in Sunland Park have desired and worked for the establishment of a new parish in the Santa Teresa area. Santa Teresa has experienced tremendous growth and all demographic indicators show that it will continue to grow. At different times parishioners had gathered for the celebration of Holy Mass on Sundays and have engaged in various forms of fundraising. The fact that the diocesan bishop has established a parish has provided for the pastoral care of souls and the administration of temporal goods, through the appointment of a pastor, is a clear sign of the commitment and support for this new parish.

Vision 

The long-term vision is to establish a parish with full services in the Santa Teresa area. The boundary of the parish is specified in the canonical Decree of Erection. The plan is to procure a 20-acre site that will include the following structures: the parish church, parish hall, rectory, and parish school. These various buildings represent stages in the development of the parish with priority given to the building of the parish church.