October 24–30, 2026
What does it mean to be sent?
At Church of the Redeemer, our Vision Statement concludes with a call to be “sent into the world, rooted and grounded in love, to serve all people with humility, compassion, and faithfulness.” For many years, our pilgrimage tradition has included journeys to places such as Iona and Edinburgh—places rich with spiritual history and opportunities for reflection. Those pilgrimages have shaped many lives and deepened many faith journeys.
Yet as Redeemer continues to live more fully into our commitments to Service, Justice, Community, and Becoming Beloved Community, we have found ourselves asking new questions. How do we learn to build authentic relationships across differences? How do we move beyond helping and toward genuine partnership? How do we become the kind of church that can enter into bilateral relationships marked by mutuality, humility, and shared learning?
Those questions have led us to the borderland.
When we first announced Walking in Love, we envisioned partnering with La Casa de Misericordia in Nogales, Mexico, and working alongside our friend, the Rev. JJ Bernal. Since that announcement, however, conditions along the border have changed dramatically. Shifting immigration realities, financial pressures on shelters, changing ministry priorities, and the loss of key relationships made it clear that the original pilgrimage model was no longer the best way to accomplish our goals. Rather than forcing a plan that no longer fit the reality on the ground, we stepped back, listened carefully, and discerned a new path.
Today, we are excited to announce a new partnership with Rio Grande Borderland Ministries, led by Ana Reza and the Rev. Michael Wallens. Through this partnership, we will engage the communities, ministries, and stories of the El Paso–Juárez borderland in ways that align even more closely with our original purpose.
This pilgrimage is not a mission trip. It is not a political tour. It is not volunteer tourism.
It is a pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage invites us to leave behind the familiar and place ourselves in situations where we can learn, listen, and be transformed. During our week together, we will encounter communities that live at the intersection of migration, hospitality, resilience, justice, and faith. We will pray together, reflect together, and listen deeply to stories that often go unheard.
Our journey will include visits to the historic Blackwell School National Historic Site, where we will learn about the experiences of Mexican-American students educated in segregated schools. We will meet with community leaders, clergy, educators, and advocates throughout the borderland. We will participate in prayer vigils near detention facilities, including the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca and Camp East Montana, creating space to pray, witness, and reflect.
We will spend time with organizations that have become vital partners in the life of the borderland. At Mujer Obrera, a grassroots organization dedicated to building economic and social justice, we will share a meal at Café Mayapán and visit the fair-trade store operated through La Red Ni Una Más. We will learn about hospitality and accompaniment through organizations such as Annunciation House, which has long provided shelter and support to migrants in the region. We will also visit sites where immigration policy and human experience intersect most directly, including the El Paso Service Processing Center.
These experiences are not ends in themselves. They are opportunities for formation.
One of the most important goals of this pilgrimage is to help Church of the Redeemer deepen its understanding of bilateral partnership. As we continue to grow relationships with organizations and communities in Cincinnati, we recognize that authentic partnership is not something we accomplish once—it is something we practice. The borderland offers a unique opportunity to reflect on what mutuality, accompaniment, and shared learning look like in real life. Our hope is that the insights gained through this pilgrimage will enrich not only our experience there, but also the ways we engage our neighbors and partners here at home.
In preparation for the pilgrimage, participants will gather beginning August 20 for a formation process that includes a screening of The River and the Wall and a study of The Asylum Seekers: A Chronicle of Life, Death, and Community at the Border by Cristina Rathbone. These experiences will help prepare us not simply to travel, but to engage thoughtfully and faithfully with the communities we will encounter.
The pilgrimage will take place October 24–30, 2026, and is open to adults and youth ages 13 and older, accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Participation will be limited to 24 pilgrims to ensure meaningful engagement and reflection throughout the journey.
The cost of the pilgrimage is $2,038 per person and includes accommodations, transportation, and most meals. We are committed to ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent participation. Scholarship assistance is available, and we encourage anyone who feels called to this experience to begin the conversation regardless of financial need.
We do not know whether future pilgrimages will return to the borderland or lead us somewhere entirely different. What we do know is that this pilgrimage matters now. At a moment when questions of belonging, dignity, community, and human relationship are increasingly complex and often deeply polarized, we believe Christ continues to call us into places where listening, learning, and love are needed most.
We invite you to consider whether you are being called to join us.
Together, we will walk in love.
