JHS Adult Immersion with Kino Border Initiative

The Kino Border Initiative (KBI) is a bi-national, inclusive Roman Catholic organization, inspired by the spirituality of the Jesuits and Missionaries of the Eucharist; locally rooted in Ambos Nogales on the Mexico – U.S. border. This fall, we have the opportunity to send a group of adults from the JHS community on immersion with Kino.

KBI’s mission is to promote humane, just, and workable migration through:

• Direct humanitarian assistance and holistic accompaniment of migrants;
• Education and encounter between migrants and others that transforms people and communities towards solidarity with migrants;
• Policy advocacy in Mexico and the US.

Jesuit High School has partnered with KBI in forming our students since 2016, when we first sent a group of students there on immersion. Our participants learn more about the complexities of the border from multiple vantage points: ranchers living along the U.S. side of the border, migrants seeking shelter, long-term volunteers, attorneys representing migrants and the U.S. government, first responders from CBP, and more. 

In March 2024, we hosted Sister Tracey Horan, SP, and a former Kino guest to speak about the current experience of seeking safety through asylum. One by-product of that time was the idea that our families might also like to learn more about the work of Kino and the wider Society of Jesus (Jesuits) at the border. 

Who Should Go?

If you are interested in learning, through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, about the complexities of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border and about the human lives who make up those realities, we welcome you to join us. 

Details

• Saturday, September 28 – Wednesday, October 2, 2024
• Approximate cost per person: $500 (includes airfare, transportation, lodging at Kino guest house, and food). Participants who would prefer to stay at a hotel in Nogales, AZ are welcome to arrange those accommodations, as well. 
• The group will cross the border by foot regularly, so a valid U.S. Passport is required.
• Once determined, the group will meet at a mutually agreeable time in September to prepare for the immersion. 

Sample Activities

• Desert walk and Mass with ranchers in Arivaca, AZ
• Conversation with migrants at KBI migrant hospitality center in Nogales, Sonora
• Accompaniment of migrant children while parents attend to paperwork
• Visit to Border Patrol office in Nogales, AZ

Interested? 

If you would like to sign up or learn more, please contact Sara Brabec in the Office of Service and Justice. Spaces will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis through September 4, 2024.