Priest shares profound impact of recent border immersion trip
Father Joseph D’Amico, pastor of Saint Anastasia Church in Teaneck, recently experienced a transformative Advent journey related to the ongoing immigration crisis that dominates headlines. Supported by a grant from the Catholic Extension Society, Father D’Amico traveled to the U.S. Southern Border, where he listened to the personal stories of individuals who had endured extraordinary challenges in their quest for safety and a better life.
These powerful accounts of resilience deeply moved him. “I met a man who had been on the run from the Taliban for two years, a family who walked from Venezuela to Texas through forests, jungles, and rivers, and a pre-teen girl carried on her uncle’s back all the way from South America to Texas in hopes of receiving medical care for a congenital disability,” he shared.
One particularly heartbreaking story involved a young mother and her 16-year-old son.
“I was able to offer my priesthood by praying and blessing a family who had walked from Central America, only to be stopped by drug lords,” Father D’Amico recalled. “They beat her son in front of her and demanded a ransom. If she couldn’t pay, they threatened to return him in pieces.”
Miraculously, the mother raised the money to secure her son’s release, but the trauma they endured remained with Father D’Amico.
A poignant moment occurred when he visited the wall separating El Paso, Texas, from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Father D’Amico noticed a small pink sneaker on the Mexican side.
“What happened to the girl who lost her sneaker?” he wondered. “Was she running from traffickers? Or running toward a family member or immigration official on the Texas side who would greet her with warmth and care?”
The image stayed with him.
The following day, at a migrant shelter, Father D’Amico saw an art piece created by a migrant depicting a young girl with her foot stuck in a wall, wearing a red sneaker. “Was that her?” he pondered, considering the possibility that the artwork symbolized the girl whose lost sneaker had made such an impression.
On the third Sunday of Advent, when the pink candle was lit to symbolize joy, Father D’Amico was reminded of that sneaker.
“That pink sneaker spoke to my heart and taught me that joy is often a work in progress,” he said, adding that even in suffering, joy and hope emerge through perseverance and compassion.
During his time in El Paso, Father D’Amico reconnected with an old seminary classmate, Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, N.M. In his homily on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bishop Baldacchino shared a powerful insight: “The word ‘Advent’ isn’t just a coming, but a coming toward.” This sentiment inspired Father D’Amico to consider Advent’s impact on Catholics.
“Advent prepares us to celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord, who didn’t just come, but came to us, like us, and for us so that we can become like Him,” he said.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe honors the Virgin Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531. On the feast day, Father D’Amico joined a Mass and prayer service with the Native American community, who shared their Mestizo culture through dance and song. He later participated in a Mass with 1,500 people in El Paso, celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As the New Year begins, Father D’Amico continues to reflect on his experience during this Jubilee Year of Hope. He also prays for those whose stories he heard along the border.
“I will keep praying for those who blessed me with their stories, strength, and fierceness in striving for a better life,” he said.
(Photos courtesy of Father Joseph D’Amico.)
Featured image: Immersion trip participants engage in evening prayer at the border wall, offering an Act of Contrition for the atrocities committed against humanity at this location. (Photos courtesy of Father Joseph D’Amico)
