About San Juan Diego · Robbins, North Carolina
San Juan Diego Catholic Mission is a 100% Hispanic Catholic mission located in Robbins, North Carolina, at 6963 NC 705 Highway. It is a mission of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Pinehurst, NC, and belongs to the Diocese of Raleigh. All liturgical services and pastoral programs are offered exclusively in Spanish, reflecting the mission's deep commitment to serving the Latino/Hispanic faithful of rural Moore County. Founded in 1991, it ministers to a primarily Hispanic immigrant community in a small rural North Carolina town, with the church building consecrated on December 7, 2002 under the patronage of Saint Juan Diego.
- Established
- 1991
- Patron
- Saint Juan Diego
- Rector
- Reverend John J. Forbes (Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Pinehurst, under whose pastoral oversight the mission operates)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
San Juan Diego Mission is the spiritual home of Robbins' Hispanic Catholic community, offering all Masses, confessions, baptisms, religious education (catequesis), and parish life entirely in Spanish. As a mission of Sacred Heart in Pinehurst, it receives pastoral care from Sacred Heart while preserving its own identity, and parishioners are supported through a parish food pantry, a college scholarship program for youth, a catechist ministry, and outreach to migrant communities. Weekly livestreamed Masses on Facebook and YouTube extend the mission's welcome to Spanish-speaking Catholics across the region who cannot always attend in person.
Mass times at San Juan Diego
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
About San Juan Diego Mission
San Juan Diego Catholic Mission is a Spanish-language Catholic mission of the Diocese of Raleigh, affiliated with the Church of the Sacred Heart in Pinehurst, NC. Located at 6963 NC 705 Highway in Robbins, it serves the Hispanic Catholic faithful of Robbins and the surrounding rural southern Moore County area. The mission has been a 100% Hispanic community with all services celebrated in Spanish since 1991. It is pastored under the care of Father John J. Forbes (Pastor of Sacred Heart, Pinehurst) and administered day-to-day by Very Reverend Javier Castrejón-Flores, J.V., since September 2015.
- Type: Mission of Sacred Heart Parish, Pinehurst
- Diocese: Raleigh
- Languages: Spanish only
- Pastor: Rev. John J. Forbes
- Administrator: Very Rev. Javier Castrejón-Flores, J.V.
History
The mission began on May 26, 1991, when Father Maurice A. Roche, CM celebrated the first Spanish Mass at the Robbins Gymnasium. For over a decade the community worshipped in borrowed spaces — homes, an elementary school, a warehouse, parking lots, and the Woodmen of the World hall — under the care of a succession of priests and deacons from Sacred Heart (Pinehurst) and San Antonio de Padua (Southern Pines). The current church was inaugurated under Father José Antonio Gálvez and consecrated on December 7, 2002, under the patronage of Saint Juan Diego. The community has since been served by Fathers Bill John Acosta-Escobar (2004–2011), Rodolfo Gonzales (2011–2015), and since 2015 by Father Javier Castrejón-Flores as Administrator.
- 1991 — First Spanish Mass in Robbins (Father Maurice A. Roche, CM)
- 1994–2002 — Worship in rented spaces, including the Woodmen of the World hall and the local elementary school gym
- December 7, 2002 — Consecration of the church building and altar under the patronage of Saint Juan Diego
- January 25, 2020 — Pastoral visit by Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama; blessing of the mission's first 32 permanent pews
- September 2015 — Father Javier Castrejón-Flores, J.V., begins as Parochial Administrator
Baptisms (Bautismos)
Baptism preparation classes (Pláticas de Bautismo) are held on the first Saturday of every other month. Baptisms themselves are celebrated on the third Saturday of each month. Requirements for godparents (padrinos) are explicitly published: a couple must be married in the Catholic Church, and a single sponsor must have already received Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion.
- Pláticas de bautismo: primer sábado cada dos meses
- Bautismos: cada tercer sábado de mes
- Padrinos: Catholic, married in the Church (couples) or confirmed and received First Communion (singles)
Parish Office (Despacho Parroquial)
The parish office (Despacho Parroquial) handles sacramental records, registrations, and inquiries for the mission community.
- Office email: [email protected]
- Phone: (910) 690-9288
- Parish priest reference on the website: Padre Noe Ramírez
Sacred Heart Liaison & Outreach
Because San Juan Diego is a mission of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinehurst, the parishes maintain a formal liaison relationship. Edith Kaylor serves as the volunteer Sacred Heart liaison for the mission. She coordinates aid to mission families, runs the SJD College Scholarship Program for youth, and manages the Food Pantry for the mission.
- Liaison: Mrs. Edith Kaylor
- Phone: (339) 225-0496
- Email: [email protected]
- Food Pantry for mission families
- SJD College Scholarship Program
Catechists (Catequistas)
The mission has an organized Catechist ministry whose members are trained in the method of catechesis and apply it in their catechetical sessions with children and families. The parish lists Catequistas as one of its 'Grupos parroquiales' (parish groups).
- Objective: train catechists in the method of catechesis and apply it in sessions
- Ministry listed under 'Grupos parroquiales'
Migrant Outreach & Charities
The mission actively channels clothing and household goods donations to the Betania Santa Martha migrant shelter in Salto de Agua, Chiapas, Mexico, supporting migrant families on both sides of the border. The parish has also covered legislative advocacy for religious workers' visas, underscoring the community's reliance on international priests to keep its Spanish-speaking ministry alive.
- Donations channeled to Casa del Migrante Betania Santa Martha, Salto de Agua, Chiapas, Mexico
- Coverage of USCCB advocacy for the Religious Workforce Protection Act (RWPA)
Online & Documents
The mission livestreams every Mass on Facebook and YouTube. Its website also hosts downloadable liturgical and pastoral resources for parishioners.
- Misa online — livestreamed Mass on YouTube
- Calendario Pastoral / Calendario Litúrgico-Pastoral 2025-2026 (downloadable PDF)
- Plan Pastoral SJD / Plan de Pastoral Bilingüe
- Code of Canon Law, Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Holy Bible available as reference documents
Contact & Location
The mission is physically located along NC Highway 705 in Robbins. Its mailing address is shared with Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinehurst. The parish fax line is also shared with Sacred Heart.
- Physical Address: 6963 NC 705 Highway, Robbins, NC 27325
- Mailing Address: 300 Dundee Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374
- Phone: (910) 690-9288
- Fax: (910) 295-6550
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Maurice A. Roche, CM1991–early 1990s
Associate pastor of Sacred Heart in Pinehurst; celebrated the first Spanish Mass at the Robbins Gymnasium on May 26, 1991
- Reverend James P. KeaneyMay 1995–December 1995
Officiated baptisms at Sacred Heart for mission parishioners
- Reverend Jonathan WoodhallFebruary 1995–February 1996
Then a deacon at San Antonio de Padua and head of the O'Neal School in Southern Pines
- Reverend Roch T. Drozdzik1997–1998
Officiated baptisms for mission parishioners at Sacred Heart
- Reverend Paul M. Parkerson1998–1999
- Reverend Robert Diegelman1999–2001
Arranged for the Robbins Elementary School gym (Principal Mrs. Dale) to be used as worship space
- Reverend José Antonio Gálvez2001–2004
Inaugurated the church of San Juan Diego; consecration of building and altar on December 7, 2002
- Reverend Bill John Acosta-Escobar2004–2011
- Reverend Rodolfo Gonzales2011–2015
- Very Reverend Javier Castrejón-Flores, JCL, JVSeptember 2015–present
Parochial Administrator of the mission