September 27, 2014 – Las Cruces, NM - On this edition of PUENTES, Emily Guerra profiles Hispanic leaders in the community. Her guest is Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Las Cruces, the Most Reverend Ricardo Ramirez. In 1982 he became the first Bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces and retired last year. Although retired, he remains extremely busy. He was born in Bay City, Texas on September 12, 1936; and was ordained to the priesthood on December 10, 1966 in Houston, Texas. Ramirez is a member of the congregation of St. Basil, more commonly known as the Basilian Fathers.
Besides religion, music was always a part of his life. Ramirez recalls when he helped start the Las Cruces Mariachi Conference in 1993. This is part one of a two-part interview.