After a 6-year hiatus, the Venaver program has returned to SHC. Venaver is the Spanish translation for the phrase “come and see,” centering around faith-based service opportunities held in domestic and international communities. Last spring, Campus Ministry offered three opportunities for students to travel to different areas of the country and serve alongside staff chaperones: El Paso, Texas, Browning, Montana, and New York City, New York.
In El Paso, TX, students experienced the community’s immigration crisis and participated in several educational and service-related projects. At the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, MT, the focus was assisting the Blackfeet Native tribe and their schools. At St. John’s in New York City, NY, service revolved around the pressing homelessness crisis and worldwide immigration.
10 students, including myself, were selected to fulfill the first Venaver mission, El Otro Lado (“The Other Side”), in El Paso this recent March. Translating to “The Passage” in Spanish, the Texas city is located just above the border between the U.S. and Mexico, known to encompass a high saturation of both migrants and immigrants and the issues that come with the search for a new home. Through this five-day immersion program, we interacted with humanitarian aid groups and those affected directly by U.S. immigration policies.
During our time there, we collaborated with the campus ministry program at El Paso Cathedral High School to fulfill our endeavors. Each day began with a presentation by educators across various fields: Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, Mr. Heyman, professor of anthropology, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) workers, and Department of Public Safety (D.P.S.) officers. By the end, we shared a newfound awareness of pressing issues that were imperceptible to any of us beforehand: human smuggling (a.k.a. the Coyote crisis), drug trafficking, border policies, and a greater understanding of legal and illegal immigration.
On the first day, we crossed the border into Ciudad Juarez with Cathedral’s campus ministry admin, Carter Powers, and seniors Mauricio (“Maui”) and Guillermo (“Memo”). Maui, a student on the varsity swim team, shared that he crosses the border every single day to get to school at the crack of dawn for swimming practice. Separated by a fence, I was floored by the visible differences between El Paso, one of the safest cities in the U.S., and Ciudad Juarez, one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Standing on El Paso’s unobstructed side, peeking through the cracks between the metal poles of the border, we could see shoes, articles of clothing, and tunnels in Ciudad Juarez.
Cathedral’s Carter Powers helped us navigate the bordering city, where we shared a delicious breakfast at a cozy Mexican buffet.
We walked around and observed families as if waiting for someone. There were nearly no devices and all eyes seemed to be on us when we entered. Seeing genuine smiles light up the room, despite the uncertainty of waiting for asylum was a profoundly moving sight.
Our stay was accompanied by many immersive experiences as well. I loved volunteering at the Holy Family shelter and marching alongside priests and civilians in commemoration of the deaths of 40 men at a detention center in Ciudad Juarez.
To better understand SHC’s Venaver program overall, the Emerald asked attendants about their experience:
What was your favorite memory from your trip?
Sam Meraw ‘25 reminisces on their time in New York: “I learned about the process that migrants go through to gain citizenship and asylum. This opened my eyes to their struggles.”
Julian Coleman reflects on his trip to a reservation in Browning: “Getting to teach a mini-lesson to the kids in the Little Flower Academy.”
Angelina Do ‘26 shares, “My favorite memory from the NYC Trip was meeting the teens at Reconnect. I found it impactful to talk to people my age about our experiences.”
Ms. Costa recalls crossing the Southern border, “Definitely walking across the port of entry and spending the morning in Juarez. It was amazing to compare the similarities and differences between these ‘twin cities.’ It truly felt like another world…yet this is part of our nation’s identity!”
People, places, and history are complicated. Venaver has provided SHC and students across the world with an immersive pathway to a deeper education on issues we only ever discuss.
