About

Our Lady’s Ministry began over 30 years ago when two cousins, Carlos Lopez Valencia & Jorge Zavala, decided to follow the inspiration they felt in their hearts and started a weekly prayer group called, “Our Lady’s Prayer Group,” in their home. As the prayer group continued to grow, it was moved to a local church in the San Francisco, California Bay Area – St. Bruno’s Church, by the invitation of the former pastor Fr. Ronald Burke.

In 1995 Our Lady’s Ministry was launched and began to take individuals on pilgrimages to many well-known and revered religious shrines throughout the world. By the early 2000s after years of discerning the call in their hearts to do more for our poor brothers and sisters, Carlos and Jorge began the organization’s hallmark mission trips to impoverished poor areas throughout the world, as a response to Our Lords call in Holy Scripture:

“Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?... Whatever you did for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Today

Our Lady's Ministry continues to hold their weekly prayer group. Mission trips consist of bringing spiritual and material assistance to the poor, the orphaned, the malnourished and handicapped children, the abandoned elderly. Countries that have suffered natural disasters, those incarcerated, and seminarians and institutions that are in most need are also helped.

Mission trips begin with an invitation from a clergy member requesting support of material and financial assistance for their diocese.The people under the clergy member’s responsibility are typically living in extreme poverty or have recently experienced a severe natural disaster. Our Lady’s Ministry members who attend these mission trips pay their own way. Typically five to nine members travel on the 8 to 10 trips per year. Private benefactors support Our Lady’s Ministry financially, materially or by offering their voluntary help.

Church built in Ghana, Africa, with the help of donations from Our Lady's Ministry

Our Mission, Our Hope, Our Joy

Our Lady’s Ministry and its lay missionaries evangelize by means of the Word of God and carry out the teachings, doctrines and works of charity that are in conformity with the Catholic Church. Our Lady’s Ministry has had the privilege and honor to have been received and invited by Cardinals, Bishops and Priests throughout the world. We have had the privilege to work in:

Africa: Ghana and Uganda Americas: USA, Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Brazil Asia: The Philippines and Thailand Europe: Bosnia-Herzegovina

We have entrusted this work of God to Our Lady.

With your support and prayers, we will be able to continue to carry out the corporal works of mercy giving glory to God through His most needy children.

“We ourselves feel that we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the Ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”