“Praised be my Lord … for all your creatures” was the shout of joy of Francis of Assisi when he realized that he was part of the great universal family and he bequeathed three essential pillars for the brothers’ way of life:
- Fraternity
- Living among the poor
- and serving the Church.
In his Testament at the end of his days, Francis remembers how the lepers of his time had caused him nausea, but the Lord led him into their midst. What had previously seemed bitter to him, turned into sweetness of body and heart, and he went to live among them to practice justice and mercy.
It should be noted that 10 years after its foundation, the Project for Attention to Migrants in Tenosique, Tabasco called La 72 Migrant and Refugee Shelter, Pies Descalzos A.C, the social gospel work of the Franciscan Province of San Felipe de Jesús in the Southeast of Mexico, continues to frame the pastoral care and commitment to the communities that are found along the migratory route.
In La 72, we maintain the Spirit of Universal Fraternity and evangelical humility, sources that spring from the Franciscan Life and from the commitment to the poor recovered by the thoughts and social doctrine of Pope Francis.
The Franciscan Network on Migration’s Video Congratulating La 72
The Ceiba is our Sacred tree, roots of the underworld and foliage of hope towards the Infinite
The Usumacinta River with its mighty tributary bathes the fertile lands of Guatemala, Chiapas and Tabasco.
We are children of Corn, born of the sacred seed that brings us our daily bread; the work and the abundant harvest of the common table.
The Boca del Cerro Bridge, an iron structure that links the migration route and teaches us that walls must be knocked down to allow for movement.
Birds in freedom, with the colors and autonomy of our peoples who seek a promising future.
Ten years of history … a path traced by so many faces, so many looks. the feet and hands of those who come together in this community of La 72 Migrant and Refugee Shelter.
Fr. Gabriel Romero, OFM
Director La 72