San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy joined hands with faith communities and immigrant rights organizations on Saturday, Human Rights Day, for the 23rd annual Posada Without Borders celebration at the U.S.-Mexico Border.
In the U.S., participants gathered at Friendship Park within Border Field State Park while those in Mexico convened at the lighthouse at Playas de Tijuana. The two congregations, with only the border fence in between, sang and prayed in unison for peace and security for displaced refugees and immigrants worldwide.
“The [Posada Without Borders] is a tradition that occurs every year in which we come together and pray within the Hispanic community,” Bishop McElroy said. “It’s a way of anticipating Christmas and preparing our hearts and souls for Christmas.”
The event also celebrated the Christmas Eve nativity story of Mary and Joseph and the moments leading up to the birth of Christ.
Bishop McElroy and Tijuana Archbishop Francisco Moreno Barron led the gathering in bilingual prayer.
“In this particular moment in our political history, [the event] is a time of great hope and prayer for us, but also a time of great challenge and suffering,” McElroy added.
