SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (Border Report) – Javier Martinez sums up in five words why he and several members of his family made a 2.5-mile trek up Mount Cristo Rey on Good Friday: “To be closer to God.”
The Martinezes were among thousands of people who walked a long, winding mountainside trail in New Mexico to a shrine of Christ the King. They came from nearby communities, from Texas, Mexico and elsewhere. Some carried crosses. Others walked barefoot.
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“It’s been quite a journey for us in the past few years. We do this to have faith, to have hope,” Martinez said.
Fabian Tellez paced the trail with his grandson Isaiah on his shoulders.
“We took turns. My son is barefoot, so he carried him part of the way. My daughter-in-law and I carried him part of the way,” said Tellez, a resident of El Paso, Texas.
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The family went up the mountain to give thanks for life’s blessings. But it was hard for Tellez not to admire the breathtaking view of three states (New Mexico, Chihuahua, Texas) and two countries from the summit…