San Juan Diego

About San Juan Diego Mission

San Juan Diego Catholic Mission is a small mission chapel in Ingold, North Carolina, dedicated to serving the Spanish-speaking Catholic faithful of rural Sampson County. It is canonically a mission of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in nearby Clinton and is one of several Hispanic ministries in the Diocese of Raleigh's Newton Grove Deanery. The mission was entrusted to the Redemptorist Fathers (C.Ss.R.), a religious congregation long associated with Hispanic ministry in eastern North Carolina. Because of its mission status, sacramental records, parish registration, and offering envelopes are typically handled through the Immaculate Conception parish office in Clinton.

History and Patron

The mission takes its name from St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474–1548), the Nahua peasant to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared at Tepeyac, Mexico, in December 1531, and whose tilma bears the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Juan Diego was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1990, and canonized on July 31, 2002 — the first indigenous American saint. His feast day is celebrated on December 9. The mission's dedication to Juan Diego reflects the deep Marian devotion of the Hispanic community it serves.

• Patron: St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
• Feast Day: December 9
• Patronage: Indigenous peoples of the Americas

Mass and Worship Schedule

Weekly worship at the mission centers on a single Sunday evening Spanish-language Mass, making the chapel a focal point of the weekend for Catholic families in the Ingold area. Confessions are heard 30 minutes before each Mass, in keeping with the broader practice of the Immaculate Conception / San Juan pastoral team. The mission also offers a monthly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration on First Thursdays.

• Sunday Mass: 6:00 PM (Spanish)
• Confessions: 30 minutes before each Mass
• First Thursday Adoration: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Faith Formation (Catequesis)

Faith formation for children preparing for First Communion is offered in Spanish on Sunday afternoons at the mission chapel, just before the evening Mass. This allows parents and children to attend class and remain for Mass together, strengthening family-centered catechesis typical of Redemptorist Hispanic ministry.

• First Communion class (Clase de Primera Comunión): Sundays 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM

Sacraments

Because San Juan Diego is a mission of Immaculate Conception Clinton, sacramental preparation is coordinated through the Clinton parish office. Baptism and Marriage preparation is offered in Spanish, and Reconciliation is available before every Mass.

• Baptism (Bautizos) — preparation in Spanish
• Marriage (Matrimonio) — preparation in Spanish
• First Communion — via Faith Formation program
• Confession (Reconciliación) — 30 minutes before each Mass

Parish Ministries

Ministry life at San Juan Diego is integrated with the broader apostolate of Immaculate Conception Clinton, allowing mission parishioners to participate in parish-wide groups such as the Knights of Columbus (Caballeros de Colón). Smaller devotional and service initiatives are led from within the mission community itself.

• Faith Formation / Catequesis
• Knights of Columbus — Caballeros de Colón
• Baptism and Marriage preparation teams

Clergy and Pastoral Team

San Juan Diego Mission is pastored by the Redemptorist priests of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Clinton. The pastor of record for both parishes is Rev. Brian Vaccaro, C.Ss.R., assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Fabio Marin Morales, C.Ss.R. Parishioners needing to meet with a priest for sacramental or pastoral matters are directed to the Clinton parish office during its weekday hours.

• Pastor: Rev. Brian Vaccaro, C.Ss.R.
• Parochial Vicar: Rev. Fabio Marin Morales, C.Ss.R.
• Parent parish office: 104 E. John Street, Clinton, NC 28328

Visit, Contact, and Location

The mission chapel sits at the corner of Jimmy King Lane and Old US Highway 701 in the small unincorporated community of Ingold, North Carolina (Sampson County, ZIP 28446). Parishioners and visitors are encouraged to call the Immaculate Conception Clinton parish office, which administers the mission, before traveling for sacraments or to meet a priest.

• Address: Jimmy King Lane and 1710 Old US Highway 701, Ingold, NC 28446
• Phone: (910) 592-1384
• Email: [email protected]
• Mailing address (parent parish): 104 East John Street, Clinton, NC 28328