A mother and her three young children were living in Guatemala when their lives were shattered by violence.
Her husband, a mechanic, spent years paying weekly “safety” fees to the gangs. When he could no longer afford it, they killed him.
She took her children and fled.
After journeying for weeks, three children in tow, she finally made it to the United States border. She applied for asylum, and was released by U.S. authorities.
Hungry, cold and tired, she found the first sign of love and care in a Catholic hospitality center in the Diocese of El Paso.
Her story is just like the thousands of other families escaping extreme violence in Central America and Mexico. They are fleeing death threats, extortion and the recruitment of their own children into gangs.
Along the border, Catholic shelters have been established to provide for basic needs of these families after they have applied for legal protection in the United States. Several are supported by Catholic Extension Society through the Holy Family Fund.
One of these shelters is Centro San Juan Diego in the Diocese of El Paso. Originally created as a youth and culture center, it has transformed into a hospitality center for migrants to meet this urgent need.
Veronica Rayas, the director of religious education in the Diocese of El Paso, oversees the shelter. In her time serving the asylum-seekers, their harrowing stories have become familiar.
“Everyone who shows up here on our border has a story of violence, of extortion,” she said. “They are making this journey into the U.S. merely to survive.”
On top of this trauma, families have endured hunger, exposure to the elements and exhaustion. The shelter is an unexpected and welcome relief.
She said,
Our guests often arrive feeling broken and rejected. … After 5 minutes of caldito (broth), welcoming, smiling faces grounded in our Catholic faith, their faces and attitude changed—knowing that we all walk together on the journey and God was present.”
The center provides the warmth and care that refugees have gone without for months on end. They are greeted with smiles and love by the center’s staff and volunteers.
COVID-19 precautions mean that asylum-seekers have to dispose of their clothes when they go through U.S. Customs. Uniform sweatpants and t-shirts are provided. Adults are given flip flops, but the children, only socks. Many have been wearing these clothes for days.
The center provides faith-themed clothing to lift their spirits.
“You could see their smiles when they changed into their new t-shirts that offered hope and faith,” Veronica said.
One young girl was given a toy dog to be her companion for the rest of her journey.
“I cannot tell you how happy she was, and how she loved her new little friend,” Veronica said.
Most families leave after a short stay, after they have arranged travel plans to meet up with other relatives in the U.S.
They have very little money or supplies, so they leave with a travel bag that has water, juice, snacks, sandwiches, fruit, a blanket, coloring book, crayons, and a toy.
So far, the staff at Centro San Juan Diego have served about 5,000 refugees. The center is a lifeline for people living through trauma and uncertainty – like the mother and her children who fled Guatemala.
All across the border, these Catholic Extension Society-supported shelters are offering vital hospitality to these tired families.
By giving to the Holy Family Fund, you can help these border ministries that live out Catholic values: welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and feeding the hungry.
