Religion and Spirituality on the Border
The religious faith of residents and migrants in the border region plays an important role in their daily lives. This is not surprising, given the historical development of the region. Religious experience and the quest for spiritual fulfillment were among the driving forces for the settlement of both Mexico and the United States. This was especially the case for the area that today makes up the U.S.-Mexican border region.
The founding of Catholic missions throughout the region went hand in hand with Spanish exploration and military expansion. In Baja California, Spanish efforts to promote settlement naturally began in the 1630s, but were unsuccessful due to resistance from the native people. Finally, on October 25, 1695, Jesuit priest Juan Maria de Salvatierra established the Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto Concho, which was followed by two-dozen successful Catholic missions on the peninsula. Rumors of the growing power and wealth of the Jesuits in Baja California led to their expulsion by the Spanish crown, and the beginning of a new era of Franciscan settlement in the region.
San Diego is home to California’s first Franciscan mission and its first church –the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, which was founded in 1769 and is located just a few miles from the USD campus. First discovered by the Spanish by explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, the area was “rediscovered” by Sebastian Viscaino in 1602. Because the rediscovery occurred near November 13 th, the feast day for Saint Didacus of Alcalá, Viscaino named the area San Diego. After many years, the Spanish crown moved to promote settlement in the area to protect from encroachment by the Russian empire. Father Junipero Serra was chosen to lead the Franciscans to settle the Californias and established the San Diego mission on July 16, 1769.
Today, the Catholic Church remains strong in Mexico and elsewhere along the border, though the growth of Protestantism and other new faiths has been dramatic in recent years. Religious experiences and spiritual growth encourage communities on both sides of the border to recognize the importance of compassion and ethical conduct toward their neighbors. Faith-based communities and outreach programs help to promote social activism and improve the quality of life for residents of the border region.
The Trans-Border Institute helps bring attention to issues of religious experience and spirituality and helps to fulfill the University’s commitment to ethical conduct and compassionate service in the border region. In January, 2002, for example, TBI hosted the First International Conference on Migration and Religious Experience. In October, 2003, along with numerous USD campus organizations, TBI co-sponsored the “Strangers No Longer” conference; this week-long series of activities and events drew its title from the Bishops’ Pastoral Letter of the same name and offered reflections on contemporary immigration issues and Catholic social teachings.
TBI works closely with the USD Center for Christian Spirituality and the USD Center for the Study of Latino/a Catholicism to promote attention to these and other religious issues in the cross border region.
