The Texas Mission Council
of the Texas Catholic Conference is an organization that is dedicated
to support and promote the mission activities
of the Church both at home and abroad. Membership is open, not
only to Church officials, but to all who support the missionary
work of the Church.
The annual conference of the TMC was held in Laredo, Texas this
year from January 28 – 30, 2005. The city of Laredo, located
on the Texas/Mexico border, was chosen so that the members and
guests of the TMC might gain a deeper understanding of the problems
facing the millions of immigrants world-wide who can no longer
survive in their traditional society. We of the TMC wished to
experience the problems and understand the reasons, first hand,
for the massive displacement of poor people around the world
by examining how this problem plays out in our neighbor, Mexico.
As members of the Mission Council of Texas, we are called to
support the work of missionaries. But to do so in an adequate
way, we must first learn to see the world through the eyes of
missionaries. Missionaries are our official representatives
to carry out the mission of spreading the Gospel as Jesus Himself
did, by walking among the poor and the marginated people of
the world. Modern missionaries, more than most people, can understand
the reasons that drive immigrants to leave the comfort and security
of their own homes and families and risk their lives in a hostile
country.
Modern missionaries are today’s prophets, the Jeremiahs
and Isaiahs of the 21st Century, who call each one of us to
help them promote the authentic Kingdom of God in our world,
by caring for the least of God’s children. And it is our
missionaries, in foreign and domestic missions, who are witnesses
to the abuse that most of the world’s population must
endure. They are first hand witnesses of the Free Market, as
it functions today, which is hardly free for the majority of
the world’s population. The reasons for this world-wide
catastrophe, can be understood by examining the economic priorities
that wealthy nations impose on the pulsations of poor, at home
and abroad. It was for this reason that the TMC decided to dedicate
this year’s conference to an examination of the reality
of immigration, not only by walking in the steps of immigrants,
but by asking why they feel that they must immigrate in light
of so many dangers. The journey was eye-opening for all of us.
We learned many things, some of which are evident in the pictures
that are included in this issue.
We would like
to quote some of the facts that we learned from the immigrants
themselves:
Most are family men and women who leave
home because they cannot support their families in the new Free
Market economy. They want to return home at some point and will
send money to their families from the USA.
Many die in the river, in the heat of the
desert, or at the hands of vigilante groups, but feel they must
take the risks for survival.
When they fall into the hands of
the US authorities, they are returned to Mexico, but to places
like Nuevo Laredo, which are far from their homes and more difficult
to cross again because of unfamiliar country.
The less than wealthy diocese of Nuevo
Laredo, led by its charismatic bishop, Ricardo Watty, DD, has
opened and supports a temporary home for immigrants who are
waiting to cross, or have been returned by US authorities, or
have been injured and are in need of medical attention.
Immigrants at Casa del Migrantes and
Sr. Juanita, Director
in the blue sweater at the right.
We
were brought into the Casa del Migrantes (The
Diocesan Immigration House, see photo) and were privileged to
share a meal with the current immigrant population and the volunteers
who serve them. For us, it was obvious that the Casa lacked many
luxuries but was truly a place where Love abounds. The volunteers,
including priests, nuns, and lay men and women, were completely
at the service of the immigrant guests who could remain safe and
nourished until they either return to their homes or look to cross
the border. The dangers that they face are evident, as we can
see by the innumerable crosses that line the fence along the Rio
Grande River. (Rio Bravo in Mexico) in the photos that accompany
this newsletter.
In summary, for one short day we shared the life experience of
today’s missionaries who see these conditions that foster
immigration in continents all over the world. And we remember
the words of the Gospel (Mt: 25) that tell us that we are welcome
in the Kingdom of God because we welcomed the stranger in our
midst.
Fr. Virgil Elizondo, Keynote
Speaker at the conference helped us to understand the importance
of a people’s culture.
TMC
is accustomed to host Bishops that support our mission in a special
way. Unfortunately, Bishop John McCarthy, DD, our longtime supporter
and former official representative of the Texas Bishops, and Bishop
Vincent Rizzotto, DD, our current episcopal representative were
unable to attend this year’s conference.
However, we were happy to welcome two Bishops
that were present to our conference. Bishop Ricardo Watty, DD,
of the Diocese of Nuevo Laredo, who received us at the Casa del
Migrante, spoke to us about the reality of the immigration problem
for the thousands that are
looking to cross into the USA. The majority are desperate to earn
money to support their families, he said, because the Free Trade
economy that dominates their native lands has often deprived them
of the possibility of earning even a minimum salary.
Bishop James Tamayo, DD, of the host
diocese of Laredo celebrated the final Eucharist in the chapel
of one of the numerous Colonias of his diocese and asked that
all participants remember what they have learned on the US/Mexican
border and to pray for and become advocates for justice in a very
difficult world.
On our trip to Nuevo Laredo
and Casa del Migrantes, our guests took us to this memorial
fence. The fence with the crosses is about 100 yards from the
Rio Grande River (Rio Bravo in Mexico) and the United States.
The crosses represent immigrants who have lost their lives attempting
to cross. The river is visible in the first picture.
We were privileged
to share a meal with the current immigrant population and the
volunteers who serve them.
The annual conference of the TMC was held in Laredo, Texas this
year from January 28 – 30, 2005. The city of Laredo, located
on the Texas/Mexico border, was chosen so that the members and
guests of the TMC might gain a deeper understanding of the problems
facing the millions of immigrants world-wide who can no longer
survive in their traditional society. We of the TMC wished to
experience the problems and understand the reasons, first hand,
for the massive displacement of poor people around the world
by examining how this problem plays out in our neighbor, Mexico.
wide
catastrophe, can be understood by examining the economic priorities
that wealthy nations impose on the pulsations of poor, at home
and abroad. It was for this reason that the TMC decided to dedicate
this year’s conference to an examination of the reality
of immigration, not only by walking in the steps of immigrants,
but by asking why they feel that they must immigrate in light
of so many dangers. The journey was eye-opening for all of us.
We learned many things, some of which are evident in the pictures
that are included in this issue. 
We
were brought into the Casa del Migrantes (The
Diocesan Immigration House, see photo) and were privileged to
share a meal with the current immigrant population and the volunteers
who serve them. For us, it was obvious that the Casa lacked many
luxuries but was truly a place where Love abounds. The volunteers,
including priests, nuns, and lay men and women, were completely
at the service of the immigrant guests who could remain safe and
nourished until they either return to their homes or look to cross
the border. The dangers that they face are evident, as we can
see by the innumerable crosses that line the fence along the Rio
Grande River. (Rio Bravo in Mexico) in the photos that accompany
this newsletter.
TMC
is accustomed to host Bishops that support our mission in a special
way. Unfortunately, Bishop John McCarthy, DD, our longtime supporter
and former official representative of the Texas Bishops, and Bishop
Vincent Rizzotto, DD, our current episcopal representative were
unable to attend this year’s conference.
