Southern New Mexico says goodbye to Bishop Oscar Cant

In a final evening prayer service, southern New Mexico residents had the opportunity to say farewell to Bishop Oscar Cantú, who is leaving the Diocese of Las Cruces this month.

“There’s sadness on many levels,” said Cantú, who will start at the Diocese of San Jose, California, on September 28th. “Sadness of leaving. This a place and a people that I’ve come to love.”

Cantú took over the role of bishop after Father Ricardo Ramírez retired from the Diocese of Las Cruces in February 2013. This summer, Pope Frances announced Cantú would be relocated to California, replacing the retiring bishop of the Diocese of San Jose.

“We were all very sad when we found out he was going to be leaving,” said Socorro Gallardo, who has worked at Our Lady of Health for 21 years. “We were always so happy to see him.”

Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe also attended the prayer service.

“Bishop Cantú has been a great presence and a great gift to Las Cruces,” Wester said. “He loves it here. I know it’s very difficult for him to move, but he loves the people first and foremost.”

Cantú acknowledged the troubling circumstances surrounding the Catholic church across the country.

“That has put a dark cloud over us,” Cantú said. “It’s something that we need to continue to talk about, to show our accountability, to show transparency.”

The New Mexico Attorney General recently announced he was requesting documents detailing sexual abuse from the Diocese of Las Cruces, in addition to others around the state.

“All three dioceses in New Mexico are cooperating,” Wester said. “This is exactly what we’ve been doing and are doing and will continue to do everything we can to help victims. That is our first priority.”

“I lift up the victims of abuse in prayer,” Cantú said.