Mission Circle History: Yesterday and Today
1977 – Present
Mission Circle was started in 1977 by our former Pastor, Father John Howard, CJM. On a trip to Tijuana to visit the Good Shepherd Sisters of his Eudist Order (now known as the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of The Good Shepherd), Father John found four nuns struggling to care for 20 homeless girls. They were living in poor conditions, and their funds were running low. With support from his parish and a few dedicated volunteers, Father John started “Project Tijuana” which soon became St. James Mission Circle. The purpose of Mission Circle was twofold: to help Casa Eudes, this much-needed girls’ home, and to give parishioners of the St. James-St. Leo community the opportunity to be a missionary for a day. The girls’ home was improved and expanded over time. It continues to thrive today with our financial support, facility maintenance, educational programs and fun projects like sewing and crafts, and hosting events like a Fashion Show, Christmas Party, and outings for the girls.
In the early years, when these early Mission Circle volunteers saw the extreme poverty in Tijuana, they were moved to start new programs. A system of delivering food packages was organized. A sewing program was begun. Crews began to build solid 10’ x 20’ homes to shelter the people living in flimsy shacks. This led to our volunteers starting the first Habitat for Humanity in the area. Father John held Mass in the city dump where many people eked out an existence as scavengers.
Today, we offer many new and different programs that reach out to those in need on both sides of the border. Each week over 1,000 PB & J sandwiches are made for the prisoners in the Tijuana jail and the homeless living along the Tijuana River. Homework helpers tutor elementary students twice a week at St. Leo Mission. Others share their time distributing food at the Community Resource Center food pantry in Encinitas. We also distribute new shoes to school children, package nonperishable meals for the hungry, host the Interfaith Homeless Shelter each winter, and much more. For over 40 years, Mission Circle has been a channel for people to live out their love by sharing their treasure and most importantly, their time and talent.
