Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church || Jornada por la Justicia: Enacting a Catholic “Advocacy-Learning”

By Jeremy V. Cruz

A bus caravan of 70 Jornada participants, organized by the Chicago-based Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, made the journey to El Paso of more than 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) to accompany migrants at the USA/MEX border.[1]

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I recently led a delegation from St. John’s University in New York City (USA) to the Jornada por la Justicia (Pilgrimage for Justice) held from October 11-13, 2019, the “liturgically contested” weekend of Indigenous People’s Day, El Día de la Raza, and Columbus Day (October 12), in the “sister cities” of El Paso, Texas (USA) and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (MEX).[2]  Catholic institutions from across the U.S.A. sent delegations to participate, with some traveling nearly 4,000 km (2,485 miles).  In total, nearly 400 people participated in the Jornada, including students from Catholic universities and many other young adults.  The Jornada encompassed both a “teach-in” with educational workshops—focused on topics of migration and racism, Catholic social teaching, borderland spiritual practices, and methods for providing humanitarian assistance and pursuing social justice—and a border action aimed at ensuring that government agencies respect the legal and human rights of asylum seekers.  As “pilgrims for justice,” participants became part of a long tradition of linking this popular religious practice with collective actions for social advancement.[3]  The Jornada was hosted by the Hope Border Institute,[4] an El Paso-based organization animated by Catholic social teaching, and drew its leadership from Latinx[5] Catholics, including me, many of whom have also been discussing our desires to form a national Latinx Catholic leadership network.