‘A Holy Nuisance’
Now up on our homepage is a short web-only article about Padre Alejandro Solalinde, a priest who runs a shelter for Central American migrants in Ixtepec, Oaxacam, in southern Mexico. Padre Alejandro recently had to leave Mexico because of death threats from people who could lose a lot of money if the Mexican authorities started taking better care of migrants. Joseph Sorrentino writes:
Kidnapping is a huge business for drug gangs and local thugs: ransoms start at $1,500. Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission estimates that in the period between April and September 2010 there were more than 210 mass kidnappings of migrants, with more than 11,000 victims.
Padre Alejandro is a threat to the kidnappers’ lucrative business, and they’ve noticed. When we spoke in February, he acknowledged the dangers of the work he does. “We are always receiving threats,” he said. “Not just me. There are more than fifty shelters for migrants…. We are like a collective and are damaging the interests of drug dealers, corrupt politicians, and corrupt corporations.” It took some convincing, but Padre Alejandro finally accepted bodyguards; he also agreed to travel with a driver (a man named Reubén who is a former policeman). Four state police guarded the shelter while I was there, but Padre Alejandro knew he would never be completely safe as long as he continued his work. “I don’t believe that the police can protect my life,” he told me.
Read the whole thing here.
Padre Alejandro sounds much like Oscar Romero. I pray that he does not end up a martyr for his ministry to the people. This is a man who truly reflects Christ in our world today.
Yes Little Bear – I think we all agree with you; I know I certainly do. And may God bless this priest and his good and important work.
Thanks for this post, and for the comments above. I always find it helpful to hear stories about “the saints”, especially those who are still among us, working miracles.
This is the disconnect . A fortnight for freedom for well heeled monarchs who have people serving their every need while the true captives have no advocates. Even when they got here the American Catholic church did not welcome them well. A real scandal as the downtrodden are messed over by those who claim Apostolic privilege.
For another Mexican horror story, seethe ‘London Review of Books” 6/7/12 page 34, “in Cuidad Juarez”. I wonder how much US (our) policies are contributing to this.
God bless Padre Alejandro.
Bill M is right about the disconnect but it’s not knew….In the late 80s I visited the local Jewish Community center in San Francisco. This was the time when many, many Russian Jews were allowed to buy their way out of Russia/USSR. The Jewish center was a beehive of activity. The halls were filled with refugees lining up at tables / Jobs.. housing. clothing. household needs etc. Looked like a 1910 NYC settlement house one sees in pics.
I was working in the sancutary movement for those fleeing bullets in El Salvador. Two parishes in the Archdiocese gave sanctuary out of 112. Better to be a Jew than a Salvadoran Catholic in ‘liberal’ San Francisco in 1987.
Background from 2010: http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/protect-undocumented-migrants-mexico
April 2011: “International interest in the situation and efforts of Fr Alejandro Solalinde are starting to bear fruit”, wrote Amnesty International. Naturally, it is when he starts to have impact beyond his shelter that things become dangerous for him. He has received 6 death threats in the past two months. He was recently told that an assassin has been contracted to kill him.
(Amnesty International had a letter writing campaign, but it ended on May 30, so this thread is just a few days too late for that. http://www.amnesty.org/es/library/asset/AMR41/024/2012/fr/a2a19aeb-bb9b-4770-b945-782d6e05e3a8/amr410242012en.pdf)
Well Bill and Ed – Instead of whining about how bad the evil Gringos are to Mexicans, it is better to try helping some Mexicans in your own town, in your own area.
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness you know -
Oh, come off it, Ken. The situation in Mexico is horrible, and the Mexicans are literally our neighbors and are equally our brothers in Christ.
Ed and Bill aren’t “whining”. They are just stating facts. You are trying to look away.
Ken…no whine from me.. I was trying to show that the Jewish Gringos and their leadership are more generous and consistent with their message. Their leadership ‘reaches out’ with money, talk, effective lobbying,.& no time for them about Hebrew translations, dissing their internal allies, bitching about religious liberty, They have an effective org in Anti-Defamation League instead of the Catholic League with it’s one-man-shouting about art/press..
Ken,{ no-last-name? no subscription?] do you hold with the US gov.1980-88 that the religious women and Jesuit priests in El Salvador were ‘killed in cross fire’.?