CICM IN THE AMERICAS

North America- Protestant

Central and South America- Catholic (63.7%)
Father Ernest Dieltiens- sent to the United States of America
Lyonhurst- an eleven-acre property named from Mr. Frank Lyons
April 1946- established the CICM mission in the US
Missionhurst- CICM Missionary in the USA
Work of Evangelization

 Restoring the dignity of Indians

 Working to eradicate poverty in the form of ignorance and malnutrition
 Shepherding the people in rural villages, towns and slums
Missionhurst-CICM Mission Countries
1. Haiti- 1953
2. Guatemala- 1954
3. Dominican Republic- 1958
4. Brazil- 1963
5. Mexico- 1979
I. CICM in HAITI
Decades of economic distress and natural disaster have left the people of Haiti
impoverished and struggling to survive. Missionhurst’s goal is to bring awareness to Haiti’s
economically and socially impoverished status, to provide education for children and young
people and to highlight the ways in which donations can help to facilitate economic and
educational development.

 1953- The mission in Haiti began in October, 1953 in the diocese of Cap-Haitien.
CICM Missionaries in Haiti
Fr. Andrew Labatorio, CICM
Fr. Freddie Lucena, CICM
Activities
1) Fr. Andrew helps the people of Haiti to restore a corrupt-education system as well as
cater to the needs of pregnant women and servicing the needs of his congregation.
2) Fr. Freddie led a project at Bois de Laurence, Haiti.
-A clean water system: a system of potable water.
-A training program and skills development for teachers and catechists
 3) Educating young people
4) Advocates for the helpless
5) agazine Bon Nouvel (in Creole) was founded. It was concerned with valuing the creole
language of the common people.
Strategies

 Missionary presence
 Donation
 Encourage other people to advocate and support the missionary group
II. CICM in GUATEMALA
Missionhurst is actively working in Guatemala to help support those affected by poverty,
poor health care, gain violence and lack of education. Currently, eight CICM members work in
two dioceses of Guatemala: the Archdiocese of Guatemala and Diocese of Las Verapaces.

 1955- CICM Missionaries arrived in Guatemala on April 13, 1955 and settled in the
parishes of Palin, Tiquisate, Puerto San Jose and La Democracia.
 1966- Built the Emmaus Centre to provide young people and adults the chance to learn
about faith and to raise awareness of Guatemala’s social issues.
Missionhurst-Guatemala Martyrs
1) Father Conrado dela Cruz (Filipino)- abducted on May 1, 1980
2) Father Walter Voordeckers (Belgian)- murdered on May 12, 1980
3) Brother Sergio Berten (Belgian)- abducted on January 19, 1982
4) Father Alfonso Stessel (Belgian)- murdered by a youth gang on December 19, 1994
Mission Priorities

 The presence among the Maya people

 The work in the isolated areas of Guatemala
III. CICM in DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Missionhurst strives to provide socio-economic relief and health care within The
Dominican Republic. Training the people of The Dominican Republic in developmental
programs like farming also helps to prepare young people with employment as well as a means
to support themselves.

 CICM mission began in January 1958 in the Parish of Tamayo

 A year later their presence was extended to Neiba and in 1961 to Duverge.
 Years later the “Haitian Ministry” was created and entrusted to one or two CICM
members.
Aim: accompany Haitians who live in bateyes in their struggle for survival and towards their
integration into a Dominican society.
CICM Missionaries in Dominican Republic
 1) FR. STANLEY SZARWARK (Nov. 08, 1938- Feb. 19, 2017)
2) FR. FLORIS DE LEY
3) FR. ALEX ULPINDO
Radio Enriquillo
- Founded in 1970 at Tamayo with a message of liberation
- Voice of farmers against injustice, oppression and exploitation

Justice And Peace And Integrity Of Creation (JPIC)

-Founded in 1989
-To help the confreres in their commitments and activities regarding the issues struggling against
injustices of all kinds especially through the base Christian communities
Mission Priorities

 Missionary presence in marginalized areas that seek to encourage and create awareness in
the ecclesial communities restoring the dignity of Indians
 Train leaders
 Missionary animation and Haitian Pastoral Ministry
Mission Strategies
1) Evangelism starts with friendship
2) Guiding the children of God in the era of social media
3) Vocation animation of the youth in the local church
IV. CICM in BRAZIL
CICM work in Brazil focuses on crusading against corruption, preaching the Gospel to
those imprisoned, and providing economic alternatives to ecological exploitation. The CICM
mission in Brazil began in 1963 at Nova Iguacu, in the parishes of Santa Maria and du Bom
Pastor.
CICM Missionaries in Brazil
CICM missionaries in Brazil are present in five dioceses, namely: Belo Horizonte, Duque de
Caxia, Nova Iguaçu, Itabira-Fabriciano and Maraba.
1. FR. HENRI DOMINICUS, CICM- He was the first superior of CICM Mission in
Brazil
2. FR. GERALDO- He was born in 1966 and ordained in 1998 in which his mission
mainly focuses on child poverty and advocacy programs against child abuse and neglect
3. FR. NOEL ESPINA, CICM- A native of the Philippines who joined Missionhurst in
2002 and was sent to the mission of Brazil in 2006
4. FR. DOMINIC, CICM- an old acquaintance from the community of Nossa Senhora
Aparecida arrived in Belo Horizonte in August 2012
Three Missionary Strategies

 Missionary presence in the urban centers and in the region of the Amazon
 The option for Justice and peace by which the Congregation is committed
 Missionary and vocation animation in the local church
V. CICM in MEXICO
CICM missionaries have worked to create a cottage industry so rural families will not just
survive, but thrive. Helping these rural communities to become productive and fight poverty is a
large part of CICM mission in Mexico.
1979- The CICM presence in Mexico started in 1979 in the Colonia La Pastora
Mid 1980’s- Some confreres of Guatemala arrived at Mexico fleeing the persecution.
(Zacatenco; others in Chiapas)

 PURPOSE: Settling in chiapas to work with the Guatemalan refugees

1989- The students of the formation house needed a place to do their pastoral work and
Autonomous District was built.
1990- Marcelo Rotsaert was expelled because of his work in one of the parishes of the diocese of
San Cristobal de las Casas.
1996- The country of Mexico was declared mission territory and the Parish of Temalacatzingo in
the diocese of Tlapa, State of Guerrero, was accepted
2003- The formation house was moved to Tlapan (southern part of the Mexico city) which was
definitively closed in 2005
2004- The parish of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo in the Archdiocese of Mexico was accepted
and in May 2012 the parish of Cualac in the dioceses of Tlapa (Estado de Guerrero) was
accepted
Mission Priorities

 The prison ministry

 The presence in the world of the indigenous Náhuati people
 The work in the periphery of the big city
VI. CICM in the USA
Missionhurst focuses its efforts on the Hispanic community in the Archdiocese of San
Antonio and five dioceses on the East Coast. Within these Hispanic communities, Missionhurst
has developed various youth programs and ministries aimed at responding to the challenges that
are faced by the youth of today. In North America the institute is known as "Missionhurst -
CICM" and its members referred to as "Missionhurst Priest and Brothers".