"Murder City"

Columban Fr Kevin Mullins is Parish Priest of Corpus Christi Parish, in Juárez, Mexico, a city where 5000 people have been assassinated over the past four years.


The fence between El Paso,Texas and Anapra, Mexico.	Mass is celebrated on both sides of the fence.

Ciudad Juárez, also known as Juárez, is a city of 1.5 million people, in the Mexican State of Chihuahua. Situated across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, this has become one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Since Mexico's President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels, four years ago, almost 5,000 citizens have been murdered in this city. The violence has spread throughout Mexico, but Juárez has been particularly hard hit because it is a major conduit for illegal drugs passing from Mexico to the United States. It has become a bloody battleground as cartels fighting for the huge amounts of money invoved murder each other and innocent civilians. Most people agree that one reason that so many people are enticed by the drug money is that so few here have jobs. The city has grown substantially in recent decades due to a large influx of people moving from the countryside in seach of jobs in the more than 300 maquiladoras (assembly plants) in and around the city. Many young women and their families have come in search of work, and violence towards women has increased dramatically: since the early nineties almost 600 women have been murdered and many more are missing. Many of the police are corrupt and only a tiny fraction of the executions are even investigated not to mention solved. Even more striking than the number of murders is the gruesome way many have been carried out. People have been strangled, beheaded, dismembered, stoned to death: a mere shooting hardly gets any attention. Ambulances are attacked and the wounded "finished off". Hospital operating theatres have to be sorrounded by bullet-proof glass lest victims be dispatched during surgical procedures.


Frs Kevin Mullins and Michael Donnelly lead the Holy Week procession.	Typical Anapra homes.

I have spent the past ten years working here in Corpus Christi Parish on the outskirts of Juárez. In recent years, as the violence has grown worse, we have experienced almost 40 executions just in this one parish here. Everybody in the parish is affected by the violence: many have relatives who have been killed. Mario was one of the young men who was tortured and then stoned to death in May 2009. Just the previous Sunday he had been at Mass here in the parish and one of the lay workers had suggested to me that he would make a fine Columban... it was not to be. His parents, Jaime and Juana were naturally distraught. Juana even tried to hang herself after she saw what had been done to her son.But, in fact, by the grace of God and the support of the commmunity, they and their family have become even more regular and dedicated parishioners.They have also decided to get married in the Church.

To quote another case, four of Ezekiel's extended family have been victims; a mother and son killed just before Christmas outside the old US Consulate, a nephew executed a week previously outside the church of St Marcos, and a cousin slain earlier.Teachers have been threatened that their students will be hurt if they don't pay extortion money. And when Juan Pablo refused to use his market as a drop-off location for suspicious packages, he was told that his two kids would be killed. So the family quickly and quietly moved to another city, and after a period of time returned to another location in Juárez.

Almost everyone in the parish is poor, trying to eke out a living, to raise and educate their families in spite of the violence that sorrounds them.I never cease to be amazed at their bravery, their nobility, their solidarity with one another, their joy and enthusiasm for life.

The Mexican Council of Bishops estimates that about two out of every ten priests face serious risks for speaking out against drug traffickers.One has been killed, dozens transferred for their own safety. The rest are looking over their shoulders.Before last Christmas I got a call from one of my colleagues, a Mexican priest. "I'm so happy to hear your voice," he said, "the radio just reported that you were assassinated in the street". I was glad to be able to correct that rumour. Fr Michael Donnelly and myself, and Fr Denis O'Mara, who helps us out on weekends, are happy to be here. Our people appreciate the fact that we are in solidarity with them. Ten years ago there were very few regular church-goers here in Corpus Christi.We worked with a core group of committed people. The Catholic Church has a proud tradition of standing up for people who can't defend themselves. Little by little the congregation grew as people noted that we were on the side of the poor, willing to help the most oppressed and to make a stand for justice.

Along with the fear and the gross cruelty in Juárez, there are so many good people living, working and loving each other, strong in a hope that is nourished by the Eucharist.

It is our privilege to be here.

Kevin is an Australian Columban, ordained in 1978, who worked for twenty years in Chile, and did promotional work in London before being assigned to Juárez. His companion, Fr Michael Donnelly, worked for many years in Peru and in the USA.

[Far East Magazine]