NOGALES, Ariz.--The Kino Border Initiative (KBI) will be inaugurated on the U.S.-Mexico border on Jan. 18 to serve the communities of Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and the people who pass through this historic corridor of trade and culture. The new ministry is being launched as a binational partnership of Jesuit and Catholic organizations and laypersons on both sides of the border. Three years in development, the KBI is “the culmination of a process of listening, dialog, and discernment regarding how the resources of our Province might best be put to use to serve and foster solidarity with those most directly affected by immigration and enforcement policies along the border,” said John P. McGarry, S.J., Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. “We are blessed in this endeavor by our collaborative partnerships with the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (JRS/USA) and the Jesuit Migration Service of the Mexican Province,” said Fr. McGarry. “Together with our partners in the Diocese of Tucson and in the Archdiocese of Hermosillo, and the religious women of the Missionaries of the Eucharist, the KBI will provide education, social assistance, research, and advocacy where they are sorely needed,” he added.  Two Jesuits of the California Province have been assigned to this ministry. Sean Carroll, S.J. (pictured at left), will serve as Executive Director, and Peter Neeley, S.J. (pictured below), will be Associate for Education and Formation. They are joined by Martin McIntosh, S.J., of the Mexican Province., who will be Associate for Socio-Pastoral Outreach, and Donald Bahlinger, S.J., of the New Orleans Province, who will serve as Chaplain.
Working closely with priests of the Dioceses of Tucson and Hermosillo, as well as the Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist, this team will offer basic outreach to migrants who are deported from the U.S. on a daily basis. The KBI will also collaborate with local priests on both sides of the border to make parish-based presentations and offer workshops on migration policy and the Catholic social tradition. The KBI will welcome delegations of students and visiting scholars from high schools, universities, and parishes seeking opportunities to engage the complex realities of the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration policies.  In Nogales, Sonora, the KBI will be responsible for staffing the Aid Center for Deported Migrants (CAMDEP), a diocesan-sponsored care center where migrants deported from the U.S. can receive a meal and counsel, and the Nazareth House for Deported Women, a short-term shelter for unaccompanied women who are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. The Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist will administer these facilities located near the Mariposa port of deportation.
The initiative is named for Eusebio Francisco Kino, S.J., a Jesuit missionary known as the “Padre on Horseback,” who rode across southern Arizona and northern Sonora from 1687 until his death in 1711, serving native tribes and founding more than 20 missions. This year, nearly three centuries after Padre Kino’s passing, the California Province is celebrating its Centennial (1909-2009), marking a century since it became a separate province of the Society of Jesus with a mission geared toward the needs of people living in western America. On Jan. 18, a Mass of Inauguration for the KBI will be offered at Sacred Heart Church in Nogales, Ariz., featuring Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson. The Mass will be concelebrated by Father Saul Espinoza, representing Archbishop Ulíses Macias of the Archdiocese of Hermosillo, Sonora; Thomas Smolich, S.J., President of the Jesuit Conference¬-U.S.A. Assistancy; Carlos Morfín, S.J., Provincial of the Mexican Province; Kenneth Gavin, S.J., National Director of JRS/USA; Vladimiro Valdez, S.J., Director of the Jesuit Migration Service, Mexico; and Fr. McGarry, California Provincial. Representatives of the U.S. and Mexican Catholic Bishops Conferences, the Mother Superior of the Missionaries of the Eucharist, and local leaders will also participate in the liturgy. For more information on the Kino Border Initiative, contact Sean Carroll, S.J., at (520)-287-2370 or e-mail kino@calprov.org
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