Local Missions

The Catholic Church Extension Society recognizes the Diocese of Reno as a Mission Diocese. Much of the population is centered in the urban areas of Western Nevada, however, the spiritual needs of the remainder of the people scattered across this 70,000 square mile Diocese must also be addressed. The Extension Society recognizes the difficulties of serving this population, particularly in providing churches and education centers for areas with small populations.

Through the Frontier of the Faith and its publication, The Frontier Shepherd, the Diocese informs benefactors about its needs with particular emphasis on the Missions of Northern Nevada. Nine of the twenty-eight parishes of the Diocese receive financial support from the Bishop. These mission parishes are: Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Jackpot; St. John Bosco Parish in Battle Mountain; Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Hawthorne; Sacred Heart Parish in Carlin; St. Brendans's Parish in Eureka; St. John the Baptist Parish in Lovelock; St. Peter Canisius Parish in Sun Valley; St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Fernley and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Wells. The Diocese of Reno also provides some financial assistance to the Diocese of Salt Lake City which provides spiritual care for Nevadans living in the Nevada/Utah border town of Wendover.

Additionally, there are six mission stations where Mass is celebrated at least monthly that also must be maintained. These stations are frequently attached to parishes that are themselves missions. These stations are: Holy Spirit in Washoe Valley; St. Augustine's in Austin; St. Joseph the Worker in Empire/Gerlach; St. Alfonsus in Paradise Valley; Sacred Heart in McDermitt; and St. John the Baptist in Smith Valley. In some instances, priests travel one hundred or more miles one way to celebrate Mass at a mission station.

Because of the vast distances, some of our priests also visit ranches and other sites even more isolated in order to provide at least some care for people living in exceptionally remote areas such as the King's River Valley in Northwest Nevada.

The people of the Diocese of Reno appreciate the assistance that we have received from our brothers and sisters in the faith through the Catholic Extension Society, Home Mission, and Black and Indian Appeals. We likewise acknowledge the support that we have received from our many benefactors through the Frontier of the Faith.

American Missions

As a Mission Diocese, we are very conscious of the need to support the Mission activity of the Church in all areas. The call to spread the Gospel is inherent in our Baptismal call and every Christian has the vocation to bring the faith to others. For us in the United States, a part of fulfilling this call to "mission" is through our response to national appeals for support of churches in need in our own country. Two of these major appeals are the Home Missions and that for Black and Indian Missions. For further information on these appeals you may link to USCCB website. The people of the Diocese of Reno have consistently supported the work of the Church through these appeals and we have also received assistance from them.

Mission "Ad Gentes"

In addition to the work of the Church in our own Diocese and the nation, there is also a responsibility incumbent on us as members of the Universal Church. Pope John Paul II has made evangelization a central theme of his pontificate. Evangelization is the preaching of the word by both word and action; especially to those who have not yet heard the name of Jesus. Missionary activity, then, takes place both in the direct preaching of the Word of God and in the activity undertaken in the name of the Church on behalf of the poor, oppressed and those who are in need. We are not all called to work in the mission fields of the world. But all of us can do our part to fulfill this responsibility to others.

In the Diocese of Reno, we strive to respond in three particular ways. We participate by supporting the work of the Propagation of the Faith. This mission-minded organization was founded with the direct goal of assisting in the spread of the gospel. It provides support to mission Dioceses, much as the Home Mission appeal does in the United States.
It also gives special attention to the support of vocations in Mission countries. It makes direct contributions to Dioceses and religious communities to support those in formation: both priests and religious. Catholic Relief Services is the agency of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops that provides overseas relief on behalf of the American Catholic people. This agency responds to emergency situations worldwide. Floods, earthquakes, drought, wars or other catastrophes create crises in many of the worlds poorest regions. Catholic Relief Services is our representative to needy people around the world. CRS is frequently the first people on the scene after disasters have struck because the agency has representatives on the ground in many countries.

Our third means of supporting the Church in needy places is through the Catholic Mission Cooperative Plan. This program is one which is used by most Dioceses throughout the country. Dioceses, religious communities, and organizations from within the country and around the world contact us with a request to be given the opportunity to come to our Diocese and share the story of their mission work with our people and request financial assistance. Each Diocese then has the opportunity to select some of these groups to speak about mission work and their particular needs. This is a tremendous benefit to them but it is also a way in which we can have direct contact with those who carry the message of the gospel around the world on our behalf. The Mission Coop Plan has proven to be very beneficial. The variety of speakers from year to year has given us the great benefit of knowing the work that is being done and the wide variety of needs in our world. Even more importantly, perhaps, it has given us a knowledge of the plight of many of the worlds poorest and most needy people.

Each of us must, of necessity, possess a missionary spirit. These are some of the ways that the people of the Diocese of Reno carry out the call to evangelize and to reach out to our brothers and sisters who are most in need. Living in a missionary Diocese ourselves, we know how important it is to know that others reach out to assist us in God's name because we are all brothers and sisters.

Websites:
Propagation of the Faith: www.propfaith.org
Catholic Relief Services: www.catholicrelief.org
Home Missions, Black and Indian and Latin America Collections: www.usccb.org