Pope’s visit to Mexico draws North Texas pilgrims

Rosa Foulks began planning her religious pilgrimage to Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez minutes after Pope Francis’ planned visit to the Latin American country made headlines.

“My heart has been dancing with happiness,” said Foulks, 58, who signed up to help during the papal Mass in Ciudad Juarez. “I have asked God that everything be OK.”

Foulks, who lives in north Fort Worth, went to Ciudad Juarez two weeks before Francis’ arrival — scheduled for Friday — so she could prepare for the visit alongside her Mexican Catholic congregation. She is among an unknown number of North Texas Catholics with Mexico ties who are traveling across the border to get blessings.

“I am very emotional. I think when I see him it will be a reflection of God,” said Maru Franco, a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Arlington, who is traveling in a small caravan to Ciudad Juarez. “It will be a nice experience.”

Ciudad Juarez is a border city plagued with a reputation for crime and violence, and Francis’ message of hope and mercy is welcomed. His Mexican itinerary casts light on regions of the country that travelers have long been warned not to visit. Catholics see in this visit a leader telling the world that God is with the poor, the immigrant, the worker and the beleaguered of spirit.

“Hay mucha esperanza (There is much hope),” said Santos Arteaga, 44, of Ciudad Juarez. “He comes to say, ‘There may be many problems and many difficulties, but God is also with us.’ ”

Catholic immigrants, many of whom are waiting for immigration reform in the United States, also find hope in Francis’ visit to the U.S.-Mexico border. In fact, his message on immigration is expected to resonate with Catholic immigrants while also garnering attention in the United States.

“The plight of immigrants and refugees who are seeking freedom is not just a Mexican problem,” said Bishop Michael Olson of the Fort Worth Diocese, “It’s not just their problem, we have a part in being able to assist them.”

A ‘Christ-like’ leader

Popes are popular in the Hispanic world, said Pia Septien, director of continuing education at the University of Dallas’ School of Ministry.

Mexico, like much of the world, had a deep love of Pope John Paul II, who visited the country five times, she said. Pope Benedict XVI traveled to Mexico in 2012. Pope Francis, who has touched people in the secular world, is also loved in Latin America, she said. This is his first visit to Mexico and the first time any pope has stopped in Ciudad Juarez.

“Pope Francis is Hispanic and that gives it a little twist. He speaks Spanish,” said Septien, who is originally from Mexico.

The Rev. Stephen Jasso, who leads All Saints Catholic Church in north Fort Worth, will participate in Francis’ visit to Mexico City — a stop that includes Mass at the Basilica de Guadalupe, the famous national shrine.

“The pope is the leader of the Catholic Church,” Jasso said. “The pope is going to Mexico — a Catholic nation. He will feel at home and we’re going to receive him with an open heart.”

Additionally, Francis has his own immigrant experience.

“He is the son of immigrants — people who moved to Argentina from Europe,” Olson said.

Francis is not just visiting Mexico’s capital, he is also reaching out to workers, students and religious followers who live in the periphery of a large urban center, Septien said. He is talking to the working classes and encouraging the poor, she said.

Those themes take human form in the Mexican communities of Ecatepec, Morelia, San Cristobal de las Casas and Ciudad Juarez, where political unrest, labor issues, drug trafficking and violence have challenged families, she said.

In Francis, many Catholics see the embodiment of Jesus’ teachings, Septien said.

“It is a very Christ-like message: ‘I am with you just like Jesus Christ was with the lepers.’”

‘God is paying attention to us’

Texas’ border with Mexico is often described as a culture of its own. Trade, work and life have a rhythm and pace that is unique, said North Texans with El Paso ties.

Families are Texan and Mexican. They speak English and Spanish. In Arteaga’s case, his Texas ties stretch to the far north Fort Worth region and his family isn’t unique. Fort Worth Councilman Sal Espino is also of both cultures.

“The borderland is special because it is the intersection of many worlds,” said Espino, who has relatives in Ciudad Juarez who plan to catch a sighting of Francis.

But Ciudad Juarez has long suffered from a public relations problem. The killing of hundreds of women at the border received international attention, as have drug trafficking and violence. It was even part of the backdrop of the TV crime drama The Bridge.

Ciudad Juarez remains listed on U.S. travel warnings to Mexico.

Arteaga said many families were affected by the violence. They lost sons, daughters and husbands, he said. The city lost its spirit.

“There is a sadness,” Arteaga said in a telephone interview. “Juarez closed at 7 p.m. … We couldn’t have parades. We didn’t have events in the streets. The city was depressed.”

But Francis is on his way and he is likely bringing about 3 million with him, according to estimates. It’s a visit that is bringing hope.

“Dios se a fijado en nosotros (God is paying attention to us),” said Arteaga, who is serving as one of about 500 Eucharistic ministers during the Juarez Mass.

Espino agreed: “Juarez is trying to turn the corner on some of the challenges of the past. … We are not a stereotype border town full of violence.”

‘Going with this faith’

As Francis’ arrival in Mexico on Friday approaches, many North Texas Catholic pilgrims are making plans to see him at one of several stops in Mexico.

Franco, whose Mexican ties are in Guanajuato, said she was traveling with a group of pilgrims from St. Matthew Catholic Church in Arlington to Ciudad Juarez. They relied on friends in El Paso and Chihuahua state for help on the ground with plans to stake a place along the city’s streets. They were hopeful about the possibility of getting tickets to a Mass for more than 200,000 worshippers.

“We are going with this faith,” she said.

In El Paso, Francis will bless people at an event described as “Two Nations, One Faith” at the Sun Bowl. Through a live stream simulcast, he will see the El Paso participants as he blesses them.

Some immigrant Catholics, who can’t travel out of the United States because of their immigration status, planned to see how close they could get to the event. It’s unclear how many of these pilgrims will show up in El Paso, where law enforcement officials hope they will participate in the Sun Bowl event instead of trying to stand at the border.

“That’s the safest place in El Paso,” said Sgt. Robert Gomez, public information officer for the El Paso police. He also urged travelers to use resources available, including the Pope915 webpage.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol also urged travelers to find out more and check available information online about international crossings.

Foulks planned her trip carefully. On Jan. 30, she left Fort Worth and headed to Ciudad Juarez, where her family has a home. She packed her white pickup with goods for the needy. Her suitcases were filled with enough clothes for her trip. She also took her three dogs — Mily, Guerro and Matty.

Foulks’ plans were either to help during the Mass or serve as part of a “human fence” along Francis’ route. She said her heart fluttered and she could barely find words to explain her joy.

“Mi corazon está que no cabe de alegría en el Señor, (My heart is overflowing with happiness in the Lord),” Foulks said, breaking into a little song: “Ya llegó, ya llegó, el Espíritu Santo, ya llegó.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Pope’s visit to Mexico draws North Texas pilgrims."