Mexico-USA: 'Dioceses without borders' initiative to support migrants

An unusual Mass was celebrated last Sunday (February 21) on the Mexico-USA border between Agua Prieta and Douglas. There are plans to hold another Mass at the border between Naco and Nogales.

Bishop José Leopoldo González González, Bishop of Nogales explained that the 'Diocese without borders', initiative consists in concelebrating one Mass on both sides of the border.

On the US side the Bishop of Tucson, Arizona, Bishop Gerald Frederick Kicanas celebrated Mass, while on the Mexican side it was celebrated by Mgr González González. About 400 people from both sides of the border attended.

"We asked for all the necessary permits", said Mgr González González. "The only thing that separated us was this wall, but the altars were attached to each other. The first part of the liturgy of the word was in Spanish, and one of the readings on the Mexican side was read in English. The Eucharistic bread was administered to the faithful on both sides."

Bishop Nogales emphasized in his homily that the border corridor is crossed by many migrants, who must be seen not as a threat or problem, but as an opportunity, "because everyone, as the son of God, has a personal story." In the United States, he concluded, the Church is sustained by the faith of Hispanics, not only Mexicans but of the Latin American people, who have built history with the cultural background they bring.

Source: Fides