Las Crucens travel to see Pope Francis
The opportunity to see the pope is something many Catholics dream of. As Pope Francis makes his way to Philadelphia this Sunday, many Las Crucens are also setting off on a pilgrimage to join him in worship.
Three parishioners from San Pedro Mission in southern Dona Ana County are preparing for what they’re calling the trip of a lifetime. They’ll be leaving Thursday to see the pope in Philadelphia.
“Stories of deep pain as well as great hope,” Sara Melton with the organization Community in Actions and Faith said.
Melton hopes to share stories with people around the world and members of the pope’s office this week.
“Immigrants recently arrived and people who have been here historically for a very long time who are pushed on the margins of our community,” Melton said.
Melton, along with other members of the nonprofit, are flying cross country to share their message. Money for the trip was provided by the CAFE organization, which pushed Las Cruces to pass a higher minimum wage.
“I’ve only seen him through the news but this is definitely something I’ve been waiting for for a long time,” Rosa Fretwell, a community leader at San Pedro Mission said.
Fretwell has lived in Del Cerro, between Vado and Mesquite, for the past 20 years.
“I really want to take all these immigration issues that we have in our community and to take their prayers and petitions,” she said.
She says the church has collected 50 petitions and prayers to give to the pope. Like Fretwell, Melton says she’s hopeful Pope Francis can inspire positive change.
“Pope Francis is calling us to act against the systems of injustice and act to create a more inclusive world,” Melton said.
Some members of the organization will also have the chance to speak with Cardinal Turkson during their trip.
ABC-7 will be airing the pope’s address to Congress live on Thursday. ABC-7 will be streaming other events on KVIA.com, where there will be a large special section dedicated to his visit. It’s on the far right column of the home page.
