Mexico Veracruz Mission
History
…As I Remember It…(items submitted by returned missionaries but not necessarily corroborated yet with church historical documents)
Well I would like to tell you the complete history of the mission……but I don't know it. I can start with a few tidbits and maybe you can help me out.
I
guess I'll actually start with the mission that came before (since that mission no longer exists, someone should at least recognize that it was once here). La Misión México Sud-Oriental or The Mexico South-East Mission was born sometime in 1963. Sometime in the early 1970s that mission was divided (I believe it was done when Pres. Parra was at the helm) and La Misión México Veracruz came into existence.(Submitted by Kent Martindale on 4/10/99)
The mission was actually renamed Mexico Veracruz before it was split (Church
New Almanac should have date of renaming). Mexico Villahermosa (later
headquarters moved to, and name changed to Mexico Merida) was formed in
July 1975 as Presidente Parra completed his service and Presidente
Paredes began his.
I believe 18,000 people were baptized during Pres. Parra's three years.
The mission hit its monthly record in August 1974 (before I arrived)
with about 1080 baptisms. The "lore" was that there was "silence" for a
few moments after it was announced in the weekly meeting of the 12 and
First Presidency when the mission topped 1000. We never came close
during the two years I was there.
Rex Lee, former dean of BYU law school, former president of BYU, once
told me that he and his companion were the first missionaries to serve
in (i.e., they opened) the city of Veracruz in 1955.
First stakes to be formed in the mission were both in Puebla, and
established, I think, at the beginning of 1975.
President Kimball visited the mission in November 1974, when he
dedicated a chapel in Puebla. He shook hands with all of the
missionaries, and spoke to a special missionary session there.
(Submitted by David Heap on 5/14/99)
Veracruz Presidents Alumni History