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Rev.
Robert Ortega, DD, PE
Rev. Robert
Ortega is now Presiding Bishop of the Independent Catholic Church Diocese
of the Southwest. He is in residence and Pastor of Holy Spirit of Hope
Church in El Paso, TX that he founded and incorporated in May 2002.
He was ordained a
priest in 2002 by Archbishop Michael (RIP) of the Catholic Charismatic
Church. He was then consecrated a Bishop of the Catholic Charismatic Church
in 2007 by Bishop Lou Vaporis (RIP).
The preparation
for ministry of Rev. Ortega includes: over 40 years of marriage; twenty
years of self-devoted concentrated and continuous study of Scripture and
fundamental Christian principals; theology and ministry training at the
Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso Tepeyac
Institute; counseling training with American Association of Christian
Counselors; completion of the requirements of the Catholic Charismatic
Church seminary; and ongoing studies.
Marriage and
family counseling, as well as celebration of Catholic sacraments for the
most difficult situations, are God’s commission and focal ministries of
this church. Internet ministry provides extended opportunity for the
assignment. The church also serves as a venue for local probationers to
serve their time in an environment that fosters corrective behavior and
reaches out to everyone in an inclusive manner.
As service to the
city, Rev. Ortega volunteers as the only Catholic Chaplain for the El Paso
Police Department responding to county-wide assignments.
Rev. Ortega
completed service to his country in 2010 as a Captain (O-6) in the U.S.
Public Health Service Inactive Reserves. He served as an engineer on active
duty with the USPHS during the late Vietnam era.
Rev. Ortega was
born in El Paso, TX, completing Ysleta High School before proceeding to
earn both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master of Science in Civil
Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He retired from
federal government in 2004 after achieving the rank of a senior executive
officer as Acting Presidential Appointee Commissioner to the International
Boundary and Water Commission.
Rev. Ortega
continues to provide engineering and construction consulting as a
Registered Professional Engineer in the state of Texas. Most significantly,
Rev. Ortega continues with renewed and refocused commitment to Martha who
has blessed him with 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
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Deacon Patricia
Letto, DD
Patricia Letto was Ordained a Deacon in
the Catholic Charismatic Church in 2005 by †Bishop Elias Vaporis.
Patricia married Ned Letto in 1959. They
have 3 children, 11 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. She came from a Protestant background, but
was baptized Roman Catholic in 1958 in Melrose Park, Illinois. Since then,
Pat and Ned developed an active Catholic worship life. In 1976, Pat was
baptized by the Holy Spirit leading to an arousal of her ministry. She
volunteered as a Catechist in Adult Religious Education from 1997 to 2003
at Roman Catholic churches in Virginia and Texas. She has taught and
currently teaching, Adult Religion and Scripture classes in Roman Catholic
Churches in Virginia, Texas and Arizona, from 1997 to present.
Patricia’s spiritual development
included: Women's Cursillo in Virginia in 1978;
studies at the Center for Dream Study in San Francisco, CA. in 1999;
studies at Our Lady of Guadalupe Benedictine Monastery School of Spiritual
Direction in Pecos, NM from 2000-2001. Upon graduation from the school, she was
Commissioned as a Spiritual Director in 2001. Patricia has trained and served
as a Proclaimer of The Word and Eucharistic Minister in Roman Catholic
Churches in El Paso, TX; and earned a Doctorate in Divinity in 2010 from Christ
The King Theological Seminary, Inc., in Tampa, Florida, majoring in
Spiritual Direction.
Patricia’s ministry includes the
following: Director of Birthright, Inc. (crisis center) in Blacksburg,
Virginia; offered and conducted several Retreats in Virginia, Texas,
Arizona; leading a weekly Charismatic Prayer Group in Arizona; leading
bi-monthly Women's Spirituality Group in Arizona; is a Spiritual Director specializing
in Dream Interviews within Spiritual Direction; active in Marriage Ministry
in Arizona (Program FOCCUS: and Sacramental
Marriage in the Catholic Church).
Patricia has been invited to be the
women's spiritual director for the women's Cursillo
in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
On February 13, 2011, Deacon Patricia
Letto was incardinated into the Independent Catholic Church by Bishop
Robert Ortega and Bishop Raul Ballesteros, Jr. at Holy Spirit of Hope in El
Paso, Texas.
Deacon Pat is serving in Sierra Vista,
Arizona area as God provides ministry.
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Rev.
Raul Ballestros, DD, MSC
Rev. Raul
Ballesteros currently serves as Auxiliary Bishop of the Independent
Catholic Church Diocese of the Southwest and Associate Pastor at Holy
Spirit of Hope church in El Paso, TX.
Rev. Raul
Ballesteros was ordained on August 8, 2004 as a priest in the Catholic
Charismatic Church by Archbishop Michael (RIP), prelate of the CCC. He was
consecrated a Bishop of the Catholic Charismatic Church in 2010 by Bishop
Robert Ortega.
Rev. Ballesteros
has a strong ministerial background, starting in April 1985 when he
received the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ while stationed in
Germany. Two young Christian soldiers presented the Gospel to him in a tank
range at Graffenwoer, Germany. This began Rev.
Raul’s commitment to following God’s will and purpose in his life. In 1987
he felt God’s call to the Church of the Nazarene in Elizabethtown, KY. He
was Granted his first local minister’s license in 1988.
Serving in the
United States Army until retirement in 1994, he started formal ministerial
studies and attained a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from the
Nazarene Indian Bible College, Albuquerque, NM in 1998. Rev. Raul and his
family pastored La Iglesia del Nazareno in Albuquerque, NM from 1995-1996, helping the
church grow to 50 in one year. From 1986 to 1998, Rev. Ballesteros was
Senior Pastor at the Church of the Nazarene in Socorro, NM. He then
returned to studies at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, KS.
Other ministerial
positions include Senior Pastor at First Spanish Church of the Nazarene in
Kansas City, KS from 1998-2001, and in 2001 was Senior Pastor at the First
Church of the Nazarene in El Paso, TX. Rev. Raul also founded the Instituto Biblico for
Hispanic students under the Kansas City District Nazarene School of
Ministry, mentored 12 seminarian interns in their pursuit of Masters
degrees, served as Chairman of the Board for the Kansas City District
Nazarene School of Ministry, founded the East Argentine Ministerial
Alliance, and was Chairman for the East Argentine Ministerial Alliance.
Rev. Raul
continued his studies and attained a Masters of Divinity at the Nazarene
Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO and a Masters
degree in Mental Health Counseling. He continues civil servant work for the
U.S. Government.
Pastor Raul was
born in 1957 in El Paso, TX, graduating from Austin High School. He married
Theresa T. Keith in June 1975. They have 5 daughters and 6 grandchildren.
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