The Catholic community is thriving in Anapra and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, despite the area’s poverty, crime and corruption.
By Frs. Kevin Mullins and Bill Morton

In Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, the bishop has issued a challenge. Our Juárez diocese is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and Bishop Don Renato Ascencio Leon has called upon all of us to “go on mission” to deepen our knowledge and love of the Risen Lord and to share this with others.

The Columban parish of Corpus Christi is in Anapra, an unincorporated desert community west of Juárez near where the Mexico, New Mexico and Texas borders meet. Families here often work in the factories (called maquiladoras) in Juárez and live in makeshift homes often constructed from wood pallets and tar paper.

Juárez to the east of Anapra is a city of 1.5 million notoriously known for its murder rate, drug trafficking and political corruption. Between this and the living conditions in Anapra, there is certainly lots of bad news.

The dynamic pastoral life of the Diocese of Juárez, however, is often overlooked. Many committed Catholics labor in their local parishes and Christian groups; many Catholic-inspired human rights groups are active; and thousands of married couples celebrate the essential vocation of the family at an annual Mass with the bishop.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit is alive and well here.

In addition, Religious women from Mexico and the United States care for the elderly, special-needs children and HIV-AIDS patients. Our diocesan seminary now boasts more than 100 young men being prepared for service as priests. One of the finest priest candidates, Luis, is from our own Columban parish in Anapra.

Indeed, God’s Kingdom is growing in Juárez.

These parishioners in the Columban parish in Anapra distributed pamphlets inviting their neighbors to participate in a parish mission gathering.

There has been an enthusiastic response to our bishop’s call. The people have become accustomed to seeing busloads of Jehovah’s Witnesses moving throughout the Anapra on Saturday mornings. It’s been a welcome surprise, therefore, for many to receive invitations from their own Catholic community.

Our parish mission involved three nighttime gatherings in our main church, with the keynote homilies given by a well-known Mexican priest-preacher, Fr. Salvador Gonzalez, rector of the diocesan seminary in the State of Michoacán. Fr. Salvador travels throughout Mexico and even as far as Los Angeles, addressing groups of youth, married couples and parish communities.

We issued a special invitation to couples who are in civil or common-law marriages to participate in the mission to prepare for marriage in the Church. In the wake of last year’s parish mission, we had more than 20 couples sacramentalize their unions with the Church. This strengthens their marriages, giving good witness to their children and other couples and increasing the number of those who can receive the Body of Christ.

In addition, the mission is preparation for those desiring baptism, as well as the young ladies who will celebrate their quinceañera, a traditional special blessing Latina women receive to celebrate their 15th birthdays.

During our annual mission, parishioners are involved in everything from seating arrangements, decorations, welcoming the participants, and securing the parking area to providing excellent musical accompaniment and even the distribution of cold water during these hot desert evenings.