Tucson, Ariz., Oct 26, 2016 / 12:22 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholic unity transversed the border on Sunday when Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the new apostolic nuncio to the U.S., celebrated Mass at Arizona’s border with Mexico.
“His decision to join us is a reminder that this is an issue very important to our Holy Father,” said Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, the Associated Press reports.
The Mass was celebrated Sunday afternoon near the Port of Entry in downtown Noagles, Ariz. About 250 people attended the Mass from the U.S. side, while it was unclear how many attended on the Mexico side. Previous Masses have included the distribution of Holy Communion through the border fence, but border patrol officers did not allow this on Sunday.
Bishop Kicanas said the Oct. 23 Mass aimed to bring attention to immigrants and refugees.
“The economic migrant is not a criminal. The economic migrant is someone seeking a decent way of life for themselves, for their family,” he said.
The Mass also aimed to highlight the close relationship between the neighboring dioceses.
Prayers were said at the Mass for border patrol agents and those who work around the border.
It was the last of three Masses organized by the group Dioceses Sin Fronteras, also known as Dioceses without Borders. The organization aims to broaden awareness of the need to treat people on both sides of the border with dignity and respect, “in the spirit of faith,” the Diocese of Tucson said.
The previous two Masses on the border were concelebrated by Bishop Kicanas and Bishop Jose Leopold Gonzalez of Noagles in Mexico’s Sonora state. They had invited the apostolic nuncio to celebrate the Mass.
Archbishop Pierre had served as apostolic nuncio to Mexico from 2007 through 2016. Pope Francis named him to his new post in the U.S. this April.
During the Pope’s trip to Mexico in February 2016, the pontiff visited the U.S. border at Ciudad Juarez and looked out over the Rio Grande River from a memorial built to commemorate those who have died along the Mexican border.
Article Archive
Arizona Mass for migrants shows Catholic unity crosses borders
Related Articles • More Articles
Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, signs the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Apr 24, 2024 / 11:06 am (CNA).The CEO of Cisco Systems signed the Vatican's artificial intelligence ethics pledge on Wednesday, becoming the latest technology giant to join the Church's call for ethical and responsible use of AI.Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate, met privately with Pope Francis on April 24 before signing the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope Francis meets with Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaThe document, first published by the pontifical academy in February 2020, has previously been signed ...
null / Credit: Brian A Jackson / ShutterstockCNA Staff, Apr 24, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).Catholics Charities Corporation in Ohio was found partially negligent this week in the 2017 death of a 5-year-old boy who was being supervised by one of the organization's caseworkers at the time he died.A jury in Cuyahoga County ruled in the wrongful death suit that the Catholic charity group was 8% responsible for Jordan Rodriguez's September 2017 death, local media reported. Rodriguez's body was discovered buried in his mother's backyard three months after he died.The boy's mother and her boyfriend earlier pleaded guilty to several charges stemming from his death, including involuntary manslaughter. Jordan was developmentally disabled and incapable of speaking.In the civil wrongful death trial this week, Catholic Charities Corporation was ordered to pay $960,000 into Jordan Rodriguez's estate. Several ...
null / ShutterstockCNA Staff, Apr 24, 2024 / 14:15 pm (CNA).As euthanasia and assisted suicide are legalized in more jurisdictions throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world, one Catholic-focused ministry is promoting end-of-life resources that the group's founder says will help Catholics finish their earthly journeys while remaining faithful.Aging with Dignity, a nonprofit that for years has been promoting end-of-life support in line with Church teaching, announced this month the release of "Finishing Life Faithfully," a booklet that "makes complex end-of-life decisions easier." The materials address "basic questions" on how to approach end-of-life topics such as pain management, feeding tubes, and other matters surrounding death.The document "summarizes the Catholic Church's guidance on end-of-life decision-making and the ethical considerations involved and helps patients and families better understand these teachings and follow them," the group said this month.Jim Towey, ...