Our parish of Corpus Christi has been the scene of many executions during the past year. Last year in Juarez 1605 people were executed and 700 have already been killed in 2009.
Eight of my 31 years as a Columban Priest have been spent in the city of Ciudad Juarez, which has become one of the worlds' most violent cities as a result of the Drug Wars which have engulfed Mexico. Our parish of Corpus Christi has been the scene of many executions during the past year. 1605 people were executed last year in Juarez and 700 have been killed already in 2009.
It was during this period that we received word that three of our parishioners had been stoned to death in a gully not far from the Church. One of the victims, Mario by name, was well known to us as he served in the Confirmation program in recent years.
Mario Lopez Roma was 21 years of age when a group of well-armed men dragged both he and his future brother-in-law to the gully where both after brutal torture, were stoned to death in the early hours of the morning.
On the following day we went to visit and pray at the execution site along with his father and younger brother. That grisly site will forever remain in my memory. As we say in Australian English, ‘this place gives me the creeps.’
As a Priest I am a witness to all that is noble in the human spirit. I am also a witness to that creative cruelty which human beings seem to excel in. Suffice to say that I have new insight into the stoning martyrdom of St Stephen, given the appalling nature of this mode of death.
Some days after the funeral my Columban colleague, Fr Denis O'Mara and I accompanied the immediate families and friends of the dead, celebrated an outdoor Mass next to the now infamous gully for the repose of the souls of the dead men.
We felt it was important to bring the symbols of Christ’s love for us to such a place and to console their parents and friends. In the midst of such a violent city, we wanted to remind people that the commandment not to kill was still in effect, hadn't been cancelled and that each persons' life is a priceless gift from God, never to be done away with impunity.
In our Parish Council meetings we often reflect on our fears about the outrageous killing which occurs amongst this truly noble, brave and welcoming people. Please, pray for the Mexican people as they respond to the Lord’s invitation to love and forgive even in the midst of injustice, impunity and corruption.
Fr. Kevin Mullins spent many years in Chile before moving to the Border beween Mexico and the USA.
