Mark your calendar! This is a unique opportunity to bid on mini masterpieces created by Bishop Mark (with a little help from his friend, Hal Marcus) and beloved priests in the Diocese of El Paso during a special online auction from Friday, March 12 at 12 noon through Sunday, March 14 at 8pm.

Casa Guadalupe Retreat House was two weeks away from launching the development of a plaza and prayer space when the pandemic hit. Retreat House Director Dr. Verónica Rayas thought about what she could do to inspire fundraising while giving our pastors a creative outlet during quarantine. She purchased beautiful Mexican statuettes and prayed she could find a few priests to paint them. She was overwhelmed with the positive response. Bishop Mark and a number of pastors went to work on their mini masterpieces, including lovingly naming and signing each one, and now you get the chance to take one (or more!) home with you.

Visit Casa Guadalupe Retreat House and start bidding on Friday, March 12 at 12 noon. Bidding instructions will be provided prior to the event. The bidding will start at $75 each and go up in increments of $20. You have through Sunday, March 14 at 8pm to bid. Winners will be contacted when the auction is over to confirm a delivery schedule. Casa Guadalupe has a goal of raising $24,000 to develop the Casa Guadalupe Plaza and Prayer Garden. There are also naming opportunities. With a $100 donation, you get to put a name on a Talavera tile which will be part of the prayer garden area. In addition, you can dedicate a planter, the bell tower or the prayer wall in honor or memory of a loved one, the person who taught you the faith, and the one who taught you to pray.

Future plans include facilities for youth and other types of retreats. Casa Guadalupe will need the support of many partners and volunteers, construction experts and materials, electricians, plumbers, engineers, painters, artists architects, interior designers, landscapers and more.

Casa Guadalupe retreat house offers retreats, workshops, and conferences to help guide people in their spiritual journey. The purchase of the retreat house, formerly known as Holy Trinity, is an historic moment for the diocese, which will now be able to offer a variety of exciting retreats and programs for the various parishes and groups in the Diocese of El Paso. New possibilities for the retreat house, including spiritual programs, upgrading of facilities, and future new facilities, are being created. Casa Guadalupe retreat house opened May 2018. Casa Guadalupe Retreat House welcomes gifts of monetary donations, supplies and volunteer time.

To donate or for more information, please contact Verónica Rayas at 915.342.7859.