Pope Francis is already making his way through Mexico as he travels north throughout the country and heads to the Texas-Mexico border.
Monday morning Pope Francis arrived in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas where he held mass in three indigenous languages.
Officials are estimating that more than half a million people will travel to El Paso and Ciudad Juárez for the Pope’s historic cross-border mass.
The two million dollar altar in Ciudad Juárez is now ready for the quarter million people who will attend mass on Wednesday. The altar will be a permanent fixture in Ciudad Juárez, marking the historical significance of Pope Francis’ visit.
“The location where we are is one of grand significance it’s a mass that will be celebrated between two countries,” said Rev. Francisco Garcia of the Ciudad Juárez Diocese in a Spanish interview. “And El Paso is very united with us, as there will be people watching right across the Rio Grande.”
Ciudad Juárez is formerly considered the murder capital of the world, but many agree the city is working to move past the violence.
“Of course when Juárez went through its bad times you know we were the funeral homes that took care of both families from both sides of the border,” said owner of an El Paso funeral home, Salvador Perches.
Perches said he’s witnessing more and more families move out of El Paso and back to Mexico.
“Well it has made a huge turn around, it’s getting a lot better, people, families that moved to El Paso are coming back,” Perches said.
Rev. Garcia said the announcement for the pope’s visit came too late, and in just five weeks he said their labor is coming alive before them.
“It’s the faith that will be projected in many different ways and one is in exactly that of a message of peace, justice and even happiness,” said Rev. Garcia.
Pope Francis will fly from Mexico City to Morelia on Tuesday morning where he will host a holy mass and meet with young people before returning to Mexico City for the night.