“Boanerges – the Sons of Thunder” is a nickname given by Jesus to James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Mark 3:17). The name is believed to be a reference to their fiery temperaments. Coming from Jesus, this nickname would be a high compliment.
It is not a stretch to imagine Jesus giving that same nickname to Msgr. Arturo Bañuelas. The monsignor has been a true Son of Thunder to the Diocese of El Paso and the Catholic Church in America.
Msgr. Arturo J. Bañuelas is a native of El Paso, Texas. After earning his doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1988, he went on a discernment retreat at the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. On the last day of this retreat, he went up the hill where the Blessed Mother gave Juan Diego the roses. It was there that the vision for a lay ministry formation program in the diocese came together.
Champion of the laity
At that time there was very little lay ministry education happening in the diocese. The monsignor assembled a team who conducted a survey of 2,200 parishioners and their pastors. They discovered that there was tremendous support for a formation program for the laity. Over 1,200 people participated in the first classes offered—an overwhelming response that confirmed the monsignor’s vision.
Msgr. Arturo J. Bañuelas is a finalist for our Lumen Christi Award, our highest honor given to people who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve. Click here to read the stories of our eight finalists this year.
The Tepeyac Institute’s mission was to assist the laity in taking their rightful role in the life and mission of the Church. Msgr. Bañuelas was clear.
The formation programs were not founded as a response to the shortage of priests. They were founded on the inspiration of Vatican II and the counsel’s call for the laity to assume a mature and responsible response to its baptismal vocation.
Over the next 37 years, the Institute’s impact has been nothing short of thunderous. Since then, 72,000 people have participated in the Tepeyac Institute’s formation programs.
Almost 100 percent of El Paso’s parishes have sent their parishioners to Tepeyac. Every parish in El Paso has ministers that have been trained by Tepeyac.
The scope of the Institute’s formation program is stunning. There is training for ministers of communion, lectors, catechists, marriage and baptism preparation, RCIA, music ministry, quinceañera preparation and ministries of annulment and prison visitation. All classes are offered in English, Spanish, and sign language when needed. Catholic Extension Society has provided continual support to make these formation experiences open to all.
The course offerings rival those offered by top-notch Catholic universities. Theology, morality, spirituality, social justice, liturgy, scripture, church history and youth ministry are just some of the offerings. Scholars from Notre Dame, Boston College, Santa Clara University, Berkley and Catholic Theological Union are among the presenters. Participants can earn up to a master’s degree in theology.
Each summer Tepeyac organizes courses by leading theologians and local presenters. There are even courses for children, teens and young adults—three groups that are many times left out of parish formation activities. Tepeyac is serious about training tomorrow’s leaders today.
Pastoring people ‘at scale’
What is remarkable is that the Tepeyac Institute was not even Monsignor’s day job. He served as pastor to two of El Paso’s largest parishes, St. Pius X and St. Mark the Evangelist. About 7,200 people attended Mass at St. Mark’s every weekend. Msgr. Bañuelas’ Sunday homilies were recorded and the transcripts distributed after Mass. People stood in line to receive their copy of the Son of Thunder’s preaching.
By the time Msgr. Bañuelas retired as pastor (he preferred the term “refinement” instead of “retirement”) over 65 ministries were in full swing, a powerful example of the “priesthood of the laity.” Msgr. Bañuelas didn’t just teach the theory of lay involvement—he put into practice everything he taught.
And as if the Tepeyac Institute and his duties as pastor were not enough, Msgr. Bañuelas expanded formation initiatives beyond the Diocese of El Paso. He is a co-founder of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS) and most recently established the Hope Border Institute, which focuses on justice issues in the three adjacent dioceses of the region: El Paso, Texas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Juárez, Mexico.
Many adjectives can be used to describe Msgr. Arturo Bañuelas. Fiery, visionary, and passionate are just a few. Add to that list the title, a Son of Thunder and finalist for the 2025 Lumen Christi Award.
James, John, Jesus, and the people of El Paso would whole-heartedly agree.
Click here to read the stories behind all eight of our Lumen Christi Award finalists.
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