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San Juan Bautista Church

Our last Church is our most distant one. To reach this Yaqui settlement we have to travel 25 miles up Interstate 10 to Sandario Road in the town of Marana. Before 1980 the cluster of 20 homes was known simply as "THE CAMP". It had been a place of settlement for Yaqui people who were fleeing deportation and death in their native lands in Mexico. Attacked and hounded by troops of Mexico's Federal Government, the people headed 300 miles north to Arizona Territory to safety. The camp in Marana was one of 15 that existed in southern Arizona in the early 1900's for the Yaqui people.

Today things have changed. In 1980 with a grant from the U.S. Government the people purchased the 4.2 acres of land that they had been living on since the early 1900's. A sewage system, paved streets and a change of name soon followed. At a community meeting the name "YOEM PUEBLO" (The People's Village) was adopted. On the Feast of San Juan Bautista in 1987, a new church built by the residents of the Yoem Pueblo was dedicated. Today the Church is backed by three huge crosses and opens out on to the "SANTO TEVAT" (holy patio).

While small in numbers, the Yoem Pueblo has been great in community participation. May the community spirit - forged in times of trial and difficulty - continue to serve as an inspiration for all in our parish.

Toward the Future