SLU Students Lead Area High Schoolers on Border Pilgrimage

11/17/2022

In early November, five SLU students joined the Saint Louis Archdiocese Peace and Justice Commission and Youth Ministry teams to lead high schoolers to the border in El Paso.

From Wednesday, Nov. 2, through Sunday, Nov. 5, through the Center for Social Action, Maddy Szell, Abby Prible, Cecilia Martinez, Monica Becker and Noelle Tracey attended the high school trip as leaders for seven diocesan high schools.  

The Archdiocese planned the event, asking SLU to bring student leaders to support with programming on the bus as well as leading reflections with the high schoolers. The main reason for traveling to El Paso was to celebrate a mass at the border, over top the Rio Grande to remember migrants who passed trying to get to a better life, as well as to pray for migrants on their journey.

 Students also celebrated mass after hiking Mount Cristo Rey, heard from Ruben Garcia of Annunciation House, and Customs and Border Patrol Officers.  

Student Cecilia Martinez was interviewed and took part in the mass procession.  Martinez is quoted in the video from the St. Louis Review as well as ABC 7 News from El Paso.