Presente ... on a border pilgrimage

Lutheran, The, Jan 2004

Each cross bears the name of a Mexican who died attempting to cross into the United States, said Julia Dietz (second from right). "When we raised the cross and called out each name, we said 'Presente,' which means 'here with us,' so we would remember that 2,500 men and women died during the last 10 years.

[We also wanted to] draw attention to the need for better immigration policy and better economic conditions in Mexico so people don't need to risk their lives trying to feed their children." A former member of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Dietz works for the Religious Task Force on Central America and Mexico, Washington, D.C., one of the sponsors of the Oct. 26-Nov. 2 border pilgrimage that drew hundreds of participants from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas. The prayer service with crosses took place along the route in Douglas, Ariz.