In mid October a delegation of 39 Knights and their families traveled from Texas to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico to deliver wheelchairs into the lives of children, teens and adults without mobility.

Texas State Deputy and Supreme Director Javier Martinez and his wife Marietta participates as the Knights were delivering the balance of 400 wheelchairs that were sponsored by a Wheelchair Sunday parish drive at St. Mark’s Church in San Antonio. The first 280 were distributed in February of 2009. The balance of the 280 wheelchair container were sponsored by California Knights from a parish drive in Lomita, California at St. Margaret Mary Church.

Representatives from 10 Diocese of Texas were present to help deliver the wheelchairs and bring home the stories of the lives that were touched in the process. Javier Martinez said, “I want every diocese in Texas to know how incredible this program is, and we hope all other states will become involved.”

On a perfect Saturday morning in Northern Mexico a mass was said by Bishop Rodriguez for all of the wheelchair recipients and visitors who helped make this gift possible. The entire sky was filled with the migration of millions of monarch butterflies and there was a happy mood in the air as well. People who had waited years or their entire lives were going to be receiving brand new wheelchairs this day.

Every person receiving a wheelchair had been pre-screened and had to register at the door of the church with the local Knights.

Each arrival by car, crutches or borrowed wheelchair were greeted and helped into the church by Knights and their family members from Mexico and the United States.

Bishop Rodriguez said a beautiful mass and then blessed all of the wheelchairs. As soon as the mass was over, NE Mexico State Deputy Filadelfo Medellin announced each recipient’s name one at a time and they came forward to get their wheelchairs.

There were many tears of joy, hugs, kisses, grasped hands and hands on their hearts in appreciation for the gift they just received. Many recipients and their family members told the visitors their prayers had been answered, and they would continue to pray for them so they could do more to help others.

After all of the wheelchairs had been given out at the church, the team traveled to two homes. The first delivery was a wheelchair for a 15 year old girl named Joseline who could now go to school much easier in her new wheelchair. The second was to a young man of 7 named Brian who wanted more than anything to go fast inside Walmart to buy a new race car in his bright red wheelchair.

A wonderful dinner that evening was hosted at the local Knights council hall and mariachi’s came in to supply the entertainment.

The following day the group attended mass at the Nuevo Laredo Cathedral and then visited a retirement home where more new wheelchairs were given to the residents, and even more friendships were born.

As the caravan of cars and vans from Texas crossed the border back into our own country, there was not a person among us who had not been deeply touched by all of the wonderful people we encountered and all the good we were able to do. As State Deputy Javier Martinez commented, “We do it big, we do it right and we do the best we can to help as many people in the world as possible.”