St. Juan Diego Mission in the small village of North Shore, located on the edge of the Coachella Valley near the Salton Sea, has acquired a new chapel and celebrated their first Mass there in May. About 250 attended the first Mass, although the church only holds about 150, so the remaining 100 people participated from outside the building. It is a mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, Mecca, and serves the farmworkers who live in the area, many of whom are Purépecha, indigenous people from Mexico.
Many in the community lack transportation to get to the closest parish in Mecca, so they have been meeting for Mass in North Shore in various locations over the past few years. Initially they were having Mass outside in a parking lot, braving the heat, where it can reach 120° in the summer. Then, with the help of Catholic Extension, a national fundraising organization that supports remote Catholic communities, the community was able to lease a building to temporarily meet in for Mass, before purchasing this chapel.
In addition to the chapel, there is a hall and a house for the Missionary Guadalupanas of the Holy Spirit Sisters who minister there. We congratulate the community on their new chapel and continue to keep them in our prayers.
From Inland Catholic Byte.
Thank you for a good Catholic article.
There are many missions in the US. Hopefully someday it will be a parish.
Why are people still wearing masks?
It’s sandy and dusty out there by the Salton Sea
Don’t you remember? The vaccines don’t work, hence the masks.
People wear masks for many reasons. When I lived in Stockton, Ca, when younger, I put on a white blouse for work. By the time I got on the bus, the blouse was almost black from the peat dirt from the islands nearby. Peat dirt is wonderful for growing asparagus, but it is allergy producing when it blows into your lungs or house. Had to dust all the time and had serious congestion during that season while living there.
Some people wear masks around certain trees when they are blooming or while doing yard work. That helps keep hay fever or other upper respiratory infections away.
The Salton Sea is an ecological disaster. The State has a lot of money reserved for its restoration. There will be some small scale habitat creation, but there will never be a productive body of water again. And yes even if the proposed multi-billion dollar lithium mining plan takes root. The people in the photo might be wearing masks because of the airborne particulate matter pollution.