Falcons in the Frontera

  “It’s Good To Be Here” By: Gabrielle Jones and Isabella Montecucco Overview “It’s good to be here” are some parting words of Micheal Castillo, the organizer of the Encuentro project, left with us. Although it was in regards to a personal story that allowed him to connect with God once again, he wanted to impart the importance of one’s presence in the face of hardship. As we watched the sunrise for the last time here in El Paso, we knew we had a full day ahead of us. Walking around downtown, we were able to appreciate the meaningful murals with stories and messages of strength and hope. We stepped into the Sacred Heart Church for the last time this week to celebrate Mass with the community, and had our last immigration lecture back in the common room. With a filling lunch, Father Rafael Garcia and Brother Hector, two men who were with us through our week-long journey, led us in a reflection. It brought strong emotions of consideration, desolation, consolation, impact, and hope. Wi...

Today was a day of reflection and community building, as we hiked Mount Cristo Rey, reflected on the stations of the cross through the stories of migrants, listened to first hand accounts of crossing the U.S/Mexico border from a Venezuelan refugee, and ended the day with fun at White Sands National Park. We were all super excited to get to get some fresh air, while also reflecting and honoring the journey over the mountains that so many migrants make on a daily basis and it was a goal amongst all of us to hear a firsthand story about the reality of an undocumented migrant fleeing an oppressive country, so the panel this afternoon was not only extremely informative, but also super moving. We woke up early to prep lunches that we would be taking on a hike through the stations of the cross. Our group got together and joined with the cathedral high school students at Mt. Cristo Rey. Through this hike, we were able to connect the story of Jesus’ pain and suffering to the stories that people...

  Ignorance Is Bliss by Sawyer & Alex We woke up with a lot to learn today. We had a jam packed day ahead of us. Talks about the unseen events that happened during early immigration would continue to happen today. We had a talk on immigration history, a talk from a former Border Patrol guard, and a presentation from Jesuit Refugee services. They all taught us a different part about immigration history and answered the many questions that came up. The day opened up with a presentation from David Dorado Romo. This was a deep cut presentation that talked about the avoided history topics in the U.S. school system. The talk opened with Mr. Romo helped us realize how the school influenced us before, like how the school system promised Columbus, when in reality, he should’ve been condemned for his heinous actions towards the indigenous people of the “Americas”. This was really shocking to us because we did not know the school system was like that. He asked us to really think about way...

  Beyond the Walls that Divide Us By: Max Deggendorfer and Finn Kelly  Today, February 20 2025,was jam packed with many fun, exciting, and educational lessons. To start the day, we woke up to a crisp breeze and a welcoming sunlight. We took the bus down the road to Sacred Hearts, where we heard about the challenges and struggles of those searching for a new life in America, but who are not welcomed by some leaders and politicians here in the United states. This was a very interesting and eye opening presentation from Father Garcia, and we were all very moved by this lecture. Then we headed over to hear from an organization called La Mujer Obrera, which is a group made up of mostly women who are trying to change the situation in El Paso and along the border in an eco-friendly way. Later on in the day, we were able to ask a border patrol officer about his job and any questions we had about how the border situation works. As we hopped in the van to keep our overflowing day going,...

What Does it Mean to Stand up for Your Neighbor? A Day in El Paso By: Ali Moran and Rya Gibbons Today, February 19th 2025, we learned about the global effects of migration and got a U.S immigration overview. We also met up with Cathedral High School students where we set goals for the day and got to know each other a bit more. A common goal amongst us all was growing our knowledge on the basics of immigration, the effects that our political state has on it, and getting a better idea of what is truly going on through first hand accounts.  In the morning we started by really getting to know some Cathedral students and faculty members through ice breakers and goal setting. They then gave us a tour of their school; from this we were able to get a sense of their community and recognize our shared experiences which then led us to gain deeper connections with one another, despite living in such different places. The next place we went to was the Sacred Heart Cathedral where we listened to...