RELIGIOUS SIGHTINGS ANTHONY ACOSTA, FLICKR
PRIEST’S MINISTRY BRIDGES BORDER
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THE LA LOMITA historic landmark chapel that Father Roy Snipes, O.M.I. wants to preserve.
VEN BEFORE he began making headlines for his opposition to a border wall that he says would hurt his parish in Mission, Texas, Father Roy Snipes, O.M.I., a Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate priest, had a big personality. Locals call him the “cowboy priest,” and he tends to keep his three dogs next to the altar at Mass. He frequently boats down the Rio Grande from one part of his parish to the next, literally straddling the border. Snipes is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, which includes La Lomita, an
Youth synod energizes outreach, vocation efforts MAZUR / CATHOLICCHURCH.ORG/UK
SISTER LEADS THE FIGHT ON HUNGER
1899 chapel located on a peaceful stretch of land near the Rio Grande. Federal plans for the wall originally called for the chapel to be placed in a “no man’s land” on the Mexico side between the wall and the Rio Grande. Local opponents said the wall would divide a parish community that is accustomed to easily crossing the border, and it would contribute to an increasingly military feel in the now heavily patrolled area. In February 2019, the chapel appeared to be saved by a deal inserted into the U.S. budget, but protests continued, with Snipes still at the forefront. Snipes is hoping that legal action—and local resistance—will eventually nix the wall for good and he can return to being the cowboy priest.
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S DIRECTOR of Caritas Los Teques in Venezuela, Sister María José González, ccjes, has been working to help a group in acute need: hungry children. In a country hard hit by economic and political crises, where 90 percent of households have a substandard diet, González runs a food program in the Mirandas region. One effect of hyperinflation in Venezuela has been that average families cannot purchase enough food for three nutritious meals a day.
YOUNG CATHOLICS met with Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster prior to the youth synod.
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COURTESY OF CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS, FLICKR
OUNG PEOPLE from around the world had an opportunity to give input at the international bishops synod held in October 2018 that focused on youth, faith, and vocation discernment. They communicated several messages that seemed to resonate with the bishop participants, including:
SISTER MARÍA JOSÉ González, ccjes, is director of Caritas Los Teques, a social service program responding to critical needs in Venezuela.
8 | VISION 2020 | VocationNetwork.org
• Church ministers are encouraged to go where young people are. Listen to what they seek from the church and walk with them on their vocational and life journeys.
• Young people prefer to be heard without judgment, even if their ideas about faith may not always be orthodox. • Young people long for a connection to God, and many seek help making that connection. • While they seek wisdom, young people also desire opportunities to lead, to help shape the church. Learn more about the synod and find related documents at www. synod2018.va.
