By Jeanette Arnquist

The first thing you have to understand is that crossing the desert between the Mexican border and Tucson is very dangerous.  There is NO water.  None.  Well, there are some cattle tanks that amount to e-coli soup with a side of salmonella, but even these are far apart.  

 The terrain is brutal.  It is rocky and steep.  Some places there are trails, others just tracks and others just bush whacking.  In Arizona, most of the vegetation is full of spines or thorns.  There are rattlesnakes and scorpions.  And it can be very hot.  And it can be very cold as well.

ADELANTO—On a day when the pain of Jesus’ Passion is remembered, María López’s testimony made the pain of national immigration law tragically real.

López spoke into the microphone after more than 250 people had prayed and reflected on the Stations of the Cross outside the Adelanto Detention Center in the High Desert on Good Friday. She shared the story of her husband, who had been detained in the Adelanto facility before being deported to Mexicali, where he suffered a violent death after being robbed.

SAN BERNARDINO—When new San Bernardino Mayor Carey Davis convened a group of the city’s religious leaders in April to focus on preventing youth-related crime and violence, the Catholic Church was well represented. 

At the table were Father Leonard De Pasquale, I.M.C., V.F., Administrator of St. Bernardine parish; Father Henry Sseriiso, I.M.C., Administrator of Our Lady of the Assumption; and Father Manuel Cardoza, who will be Administrator of Our Lady of Hope parish beginning July 1. Also present was David Okonkwo, Director of the Diocesan Office of Catholics of African Descent and Michael Segura, a Catholic community organizer.

By Sister Paulina Hurtado, O.P. 

SAN BERNARDINO—A co-worker’s seven-year-old grandchild is invited by his mother at the beginning of Lent to reflect on what he’ll be giving up for Lent. After reflecting on the possibilities he says, “I’ll give up going to Church.”

Many of our children could respond the same way. Is it because they like Church very much or not at all? How inviting and inclusive do we make “the experience of Church” for them? At some special times they know they are part of the celebration, but are they developing their sense of God and their capacity to grasp and to answer to God’s love? Are they growing in appreciation of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as they move into the teen and the young adult years? 

By Msgr. Tom Wallace

My holy Saints ... Happy Easter! Thank you for the Lenten and Easter gifts for CRS Rice Bowl and the Holy Land. Your prayers and sacrifices bring comfort to those most in need. Your goodness for the good of others makes this world a better place. Be assured through your humble offerings you will be blessed. 

By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO—The road has been long with many twists and turns, but come May 30, Kien Kieu will realize his dream of serving the people of God as a priest.

Bishop Gerald Barnes; joined by Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio del Riego, clergy, family and friends; will ordain Kieu a priest at 10 a.m. on May 30 at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino.