CHICAGO (OSV News) — An El Paso, Texas, priest who has helped form approximately 80,000 lay leaders throughout his 50 years of ministry is the recipient of the Catholic Extension Society's 2026–2027 Lumen Christi Award.
The annual award, established in 1978, is the Chicago-based organization's highest honor, "given to those who radiate and reveal the light of Christ in the communities they serve."
Msgr. Arturo Bañuelas has dedicated himself to empowering laypeople to take an active role in the life of the Church, Catholic Extension said in a Sept. 28 news release announcing the award.
That commitment is reflected in his founding of the Tepeyac Institute, a lay-ministry formation center that has strengthened the Church across the El Paso Diocese.
Msgr. Bañuelas was chosen from eight finalists for the award announced in August. The finalists were selected from 46 nominees.
Each year, bishops are asked to nominate one individual, group or institution from their diocese for the award. Collectively, their stories of spiritual care, compassionate service, and compelling self-sacrifice for others showcase the mission of the U.S. Church, Catholic Extension said.
“It's a great honor to have received the Lumen Christi Award,” Msgr. Bañuelas said in a statement. “For me, this award highlights the incredible blessings that Tepeyac has been to the community. It is an affirmation — a blessing from God, the Blessed Mother and San Juan Diego, that the Lord has blessed this diocese with incredible men and women who have dedicated their lives to serve.”
“We regard Msgr. Bañuelas as one of the most exceptional priests in the United States whose vision is rooted in the Second Vatican Council's powerful invitation in 'Lumen Gentium,' in which all members of the Church are called to the mission of transforming the world,” Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension Society, said in a statement.
“It has been our honor to partner with him for decades to help the Diocese of El Paso become a more vibrant and transformative faith community,” he added.
At an award ceremony planned for Nov. 3, Msgr. Bañuelas will receive $100,000, which will be split to support his ongoing ministry and the Diocese of El Paso. Award finalists will receive $15,000 each.
Msgr. Bañuelas grew up in Pecos, Texas, where his parents were heavily involved at Santa Rosa de Lima Parish. He and his seven siblings grew up in a house right next door to the church.
He entered Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where Catholic Extension Society supported his seminarian education. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of El Paso June 11, 1976.
As a young priest, he went to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he earned a licentiate in sacred theology in 1986 and a doctorate in fundamental theology in 1988.
"His vocation to priesthood went through various stages, but what remained constant was his love for and solidarity with the poor," Catholic Extension said in its news release. "Msgr. Bañuelas has always felt that being with and serving the poor allowed him to remain grounded as a person."
Following a discernment retreat in 1988 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where, he has said, he received inspiration from the Blessed Mother, he returned to the Diocese of El Paso and established the Tepeyac Institute.
Msgr. Bañuelas also co-founded the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States in 1989 to promote research and theological reflections rooted in the faith experiences of Hispanic communities.
He also is the founding chair of the Hope Border Institute, created in 2015, where he has worked to promote dignity, justice and pastoral care across the U.S.-Mexico border region.
As a pastor, Msgr. Bañuelas served in El Paso at St. Pius X Parish from 1988 to 2014 and later at St. Mark Parish from 2015 until 2022. Both grew into large parishes with legions of laypeople spearheading various ministries not only within the walls of the church but bringing faith and compassion to those outside.
Despite his retirement in 2022, he continues to assist with Mass at roughly 10 parishes throughout the Diocese of El Paso and continues teaching through the Tepeyac Institute.
"There's never been a day I didn't want to be a priest. I'm going to keep doing it until the Lord says, 'Come home,'" Msgr. Bañuelas said.
The mission of Catholic Extension Society, founded in 1905, is to build up the Catholic faith communities in underserved regions of the U.S., including offshore U.S. territories.
