 Fr. Paul Murtagh, ss.cc., is a member of the USA West
Coast Province. Of Irish descent, he professed in 1961 and was
ordained in 1967. Missioned to the Philippines for five years and to
Mexico for one, Fr. Paul is currently vicar for the Roswell
Vicariate in the Diocese of Las Cruces under Bishop Ricardo Ramirez,
CSB. He is also the leader of our SS.CC. Community in Mission in
Artesia, New Mexico, and pastor of the three parishes and two
missions assigned to our CIM care in Artesia and the Pecos Valley.
Below Fr. Paul reports on his current responsibilities:
We continue to be inspired by the dedication of so many people in
the parishes here. At Our Lady of Grace, a new church was
built before we came. The original church had long ago been
converted to classrooms, but had fallen into great disrepair.
Recently, the
building has been completely restored, adding a library, a new stair
way, a new heating and air conditioning unit, and new carpeting that
were all done with volunteer
support and donations from the parish. At Immaculate
Conception Parish, in Dexter, a new hall with classrooms and retreat
facilities has been built, again through
volunteer support from that parish community. At St.
Anthony Parish, in Artesia, a new Church, completed in 2004, is a
great blessing and has already brought a 50 per
cent increase in registered parishioners there. It’s very
clear to us as newcomers that our SS.CC. CIM is privileged to serve
all of these communities.
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