The mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Our History

It has been more than 30 years since the first Mexicans came to Forest Hill to work in the plant nurseries. Our Lady of Guadalupe's mission began with Father Pedro Sierra, visiting the nurseries looking for Catholics and celebrating Mass in their homes. The first little church was put on the site, which is now our little hall. And the second church we are using now was built for our community which over time grew a lot. But with all the Catholic families living in the area today, there is not enough seating for all those who want to come to Mass. When we have weddings, 15th birthday masses, first

Communion, confirmation, the gathering after the ACTS retreat, the church is overflowing with people. For many years we have been talking about the need to build a larger church. The time has come to stop being a mission, but to become a parish, so that its pastor can serve the community full time. The time has come to build a new church and better serve our needs. Together we can achieve something wonderful for God.

For over 30 years, Our Lady of Guadalupe (NSG) has been a mission church of our diocese, sharing a priest who has been given the responsibility of caring for other churches at the same time. Now the time has come for NSG to become a parish of the diocese with its own full-time pastor. Now the time has come to build a new church for the Hispanic Catholic community of Forest Hill, LA. There are so many spiritual needs in our community, so many families seeking to receive the sacraments. The only way to adequately respond to all the needs of our community is through development, i.e., becoming a parish and building a new church. What we choose to enact today will determine our future as a Catholic community. United in faith and hope, we can create something wonderful for God, a legacy for future generations.