Misioneras Franciscanas de Jesús y María Who are we?
The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Jesus and Mary were established as a religious group in October 1978, in the Territorial Prelature of Jesús y María El Nayar (founded in 1970), under the tutelage of His Grace Bishop Manuel Romero Aruizu, at the mission of Santa Clara, Jalisco. It was done in response to the necessity to evangelize, with a charism that is stated as follows:
"Evangelize as missionaries in brotherhood with the poorest of the poor, without excluding other social classes."
Our Spirituality is Franciscan, with characteristics of humility and brotherhood.
Our preferential option is for our native brothers of El Nayar, whose villages are inhabited by: HUICHOLES, CORAS, TEPEHUANES, a small group of MEXICANEROS and the MESTIZOS.
We are under the jurisdiction of His Grace Bishop JOSÉ ANTONIO PÉREZ SÁNCHEZ, O.F.M., who is the Prelate of the Prelature of Nayar; it is not possible for our work of evangelization to be remunerated in any way, we do not own colleges or churches which could provide financial income.
Confronted with the need for better missionary training we have established in September 1992, after overcoming significant financial dificulties, another formative stage, the Juniorate, where the novices have to spend two additional years; the House for Juniors is in Guadalajara, Jalisco, which affords better means of instruction.
Being aware of the need for special services in the health field, we initiated in September 1996, our work of hospitalization, orientation and visitation of all sick natives and mestizos of the mountain areas, in the city of Tepic, Nayarit, in a small rented house.
At the request of Bishop Pérez Sánchez, we started in September 1997 our work in the Seminary of the Prelature, helping with the formation of the seminarists and also cooking their meals, in the Parish of Huajicori, Nayarit, village inhabited by native Tepehuanes and mestizos.
Given the need for new vocations, we have dedicated a small house in Zapopan, Jalisco for retreats, short journeys and vocational meetings.
Striving to support the vocations from the Prelature of Nayar, where the academic level is very deficient, we moved the postulate (the first formative stage) to the City of Tepic, which has several remedial education centers (October 1997).
As one can see, the majority of our activities take place in the mountain areas.