Sister Rebecca Trujillo, SNDdeN (right) and Hermana Laura Rumiche, HCL (left)
El PASO, Texas—On March 24, 2025, the Feast of Saint Oscar Romero, religious leaders and community members marched through El Paso with a unified message: "We are here to stay."
Seven bishops from North America joined Cardinal Fabio Baggio from the Vatican, alongside local faith leaders, Catholic sisters, immigration service workers, and indigenous groups for the vigil. Together, they called for lifting asylum bans and rejecting mass deportation plans.
"The message against immigrants is a war against people who are poor," said Bishop Mark Joseph Seitz of El Paso. "We must speak. We must act. Because if we do not speak, and if we do not act, the war against people who are poor will continue."
Bishop Seitz emphasized the significance of gathering on Saint Oscar Romero's feast day, quoting the martyred archbishop: "A bishop may die, but the Church of God, which is the people, will never die."
Throughout his address, Bishop Seitz repeatedly returned to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's powerful declaration: "Échame tierra y verás como florezco" (Throw dirt at me, and you will see me bloom). The quote resonated deeply with the gathered community, becoming a rallying cry for resilience in adversity.
The bishop wove this message of defiant hope throughout his speech, drawing parallels between Kahlo's words and the biblical parable from John 12:24 about the grain of wheat that must fall to the ground and die before producing fruit. He connected these symbols of transformation through struggle to the experience of people seeking asylum and the El Paso community that welcomes them.
Sister Rebecca Trujillo, SNDdeN, joined other religious sisters, including the School Sisters of Saint Francis, the Daughters of Charity, and the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, who volunteer at Holy Family Refugee Center. For over a year, she has worked overnight shifts, previously hosting more than 70 asylum seekers nightly.
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| Left to right: Sister Rebecca Trujillo, SNDdeN, Sister Joannes Klas, SSSF, Sister Arlene Einwalter, SSSF, and Hermana Laura Rumiche, HCL |
After being forced to leave her ministry in Nicaragua, Sister Rebecca found her calling in El Paso through discernment and connection with Bishop Seitz. She now lives with Sisters from the School Sisters of Saint Francis and a sister of Charity from Levenworth, Kansas, who is on a visa from Peru. They share in the community their dedication to serving people who are poor, especially migrants, in both El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Despite the current border restrictions halting new arrivals, volunteers continue meeting for prayer and contemplation, seeking ways to challenge the asylum ban. Friar Jarek Wysoczanki, OFM Conv., site coordinator of the Holy Family Refugee Center, continues leading this community of volunteers through contemplation, prayer and action.
The march represents just the beginning of ongoing advocacy efforts. Hope Border Institute, the event's organizer, calls for supporters to take daily action, including contacting elected representatives, giving financial support when possible, and praying for those affected by immigration policies.
The march is a testament to a community united by the gospel's call to welcome strangers into our midst. It exemplifies the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur's commitment to making God's goodness known through collaboration, welcoming people seeking asylum, and speaking for those unable to advocate for themselves.