eptember 26
An evening of encounter with migrant farm workers.
Grateful for their work that enables us to enjoy fresh produce
(Above, left) The delegation celebrated
Mass in the chile fields of Hatch, NM,
lifting up the people who work the field,
picking the crops that fill our pantries,
delight our palates, keep us healthy.
The parish community of Our Lord of
Mercy welcomed us most generously!
ed nesday a f ter noon t he
ncounter group visited the Centro
n Fronteras, an extension of
nnunciation House, which gives temporary shelter
nd assistance to migrants who have been processed
nd released on their own recognizance by ICE.
uben García, executive director, briefs the group. We
ere able to meet the families and children housed
the center. (No pictures, to preserve their privacy).
he center operates solely on private donations.
(Right) Parishioners from Santa Ana
Parish in Deming, NM, relate to us their
experience of offering hospitality to
asylum seekers (released on their own
recognizance after being processed by ICE).
Humbling stories of Christian hospitality
and encounter. The pastor of Our Lord
of Mercy, Father Alejandro Reyes, spoke
to us of his parishioners experience in
picking crops, beginning at 3 or 4 a.m.
September 28
(Above) Studying the legal and policy landscape
for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers with
this panel of experts. Moderator: Don Kerwin,
Executive Director, Center for Migration
Studies (CMS); Ashley Feasley, Policy Director,
Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), USCCB;
Rev. Peter Neeley SJ, Associate of Education,
Kino Border Initiative; Anna Gallagher,
Executive Director, Catholic Legal Immigration
Network. – in El Paso, Texas.
I sit next to Bishop Jose Guadalupe Torres Campos, bishop of Ciudad Juarez. His
diocese has done tremendous work in providing hospitality and humanitarian relief
to migrants.
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México.
ve) We listened to the personal
riences of those who pick our
s, provide the food that we enjoy
day. Picking crops in the fields
be backbreaking.
(Right) Discussion
group on migration.
The closing Mass of the weeklong encounter was celebrated with the St. Pius X
Catholic School students. They were our hosts throughout the week.
St. Pius X Catholic School.