The Valley Catholic
In the church
April 29, 2014
9
At border Mass, bishops call for
compassion, immigration reform
By Patricia Zapor
NOGALES, Ariz. (CNS) -- With the
backdrop a few feet away of the rusted
iron slats of the 30-foot wall along the
U.S.-Mexico border, Boston Cardinal
Sean P. O’Malley and a dozen other
bishops from three countries prayed
April 1 for compassion and for a return
to ideals that welcome immigrants.
More than 300 people formed the
outdoor congregation on the U.S. side
of the border and hundreds more participated on the Mexico side, receiving
Communion pressed into hands that
stretched between the slats, illustrating
that, as one teenage member of the choir
put it, “we are all one community -- we
are all bilingual and bicultural.”
The Mass at the intersection of International Street and Nelson capped a
two-day experience of the border region
which included walking along rough
desert paths used by migrants.
Crawling under strands of barbed
wire, the group came upon empty water
bottles, backpacks and other belongings abandoned by migrants who cross
the hilly, rocky terrain as they try to
get past security measures and agents
used by the Border Patrol to stop illegal
immigration.
The group met with the Border Patrol
at their regional headquarters, before
crossing into Mexico to serve dinner
at a church-sponsored “comedor,” or
soup kitchen.
“We come to the desert today because it is the road to Jericho,” said
Cardinal O’Malley in his homily. “It is
traveled by many trying to reach the
metropolis of Jerusalem. We come here
today to be a neighbor and to find a
neighbor in each of the suffering people
who risk their lives and at times lose
their lives in the desert.
“The hard work and sacrifices of so
many immigrant peoples is the secret of
the success of this country. Despite the
xenophobic ranting of a segment of the
population, our immigrant population
contributes mightily to the economy and
well-being of the United States.”
U.S. Border Patrol agent shows U.S. bishops improvised ladder immigrants use to
make their way unlawfully over the U.S.Mexico border fence. Nine bishops took part
in a two-day tour focused on border issues.
(CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)
He added that the group came also to
mourn the loss of “countless immigrants
who risk their lives at the hands of the
‘coyotes’ (smugglers) and the forces of
nature to come to the United States.”
The Mass was organized by the Jesuits’ Kino Border Initiative and Migration
and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
After Communion a procession of
bishops climbed the Border Patrol access road alongside the fence. Partway
up the steep hill, Cardinal O’Malley
placed two wreaths alongside a cross
to commemorate those who have died
along the border, including “ranchers,
farmers, peacekeepers and travelers
who seek a common ground of peace
and prosperity.”
Other bishops at the Mass included
Seattle Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio L.
Elizondo, chairman of the U.S. bishops’
migration committee; Salt Lake City
Bishop John C. Wester; Bishop Oscar
Cantu of Las Cruces, N.M.; Bishop Mark
J. Seitz El Paso, Texas; San Diego Bishop
Cirillo B. Flores; Atlanta Auxiliary
Bishop Luis R. Zarama; and retired Bishops Ricardo Ramirez of Las Cruces and
Gerardo Flores of Vera Paz, Guatemala.
Pope honors Jesuit killed in Syria
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis
said the assassination of “my confrere,”
a 75-year-old Dutch Jesuit in Syria,
“filled me with deep sadness and made
me think again of all the people who
suffer and are dying in that martyred
country.”
Jesuit Father Frans van der Lugt “arrived in Syria about 50 years ago” and
“always did his best for everyone with
graciousness and love, and so was loved
and held in esteem by Christians and
Muslims,” the pope said.
Father Van der Lugt had refused to
leave war-torn Syria, instead staying in
Homs to help the poor and homeless.
He was beaten by unidentified armed
men and killed April 7 with two