Thank you for your interest in the Church in the southern part of the state of New Mexico, USA. The uniqueness of our diocese lies in the fact that we are at the frontier, or as we say in Spanish, "la frontera." We are "way out there," if you consider the geographical distance from the power centers of the U.S. and Mexico, but thanks to things such as the Internet and other means of communication, we are in touch with the world. In many ways our micro-situation is a cross section of the current situation in the world. We have our share of social and economic problems.

Most of our cities are small, the largest being Las Cruces, with a population of approximately 75,000. Next in line are Roswell with 55,000; Hobbs with 30,000, and Alamogordo with approximately 30,000 also. The predominant racial and ethnic group is Hispanic, mostly of Mexican descent. About 32 percent of the total population is Roman Catholic. Out of the 10 counties that comprise the diocese, 2 of these have only 1 priest. We are definitely a missionary church with increased priest personnel needs. We welcome priest applicants in good standing and who are preferably bilingual in both English and Spanish. We will also consider seminarian applicants from other places.

We are blessed with a beautiful diocese. The people are friendly, warm, and deeply spiritual. Our people are hungry for God's word and the life of the sacraments. We are concerned about all the spiritual and human needs of our people and try to be as compassionate as Jesus was. We try to serve as He served. Come and see us.