Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Mexico this weekend comes as an answered prayer to Catholics on both sides of the border, including Hispanics in Texas who consider Mexico their homeland. Around two-thirds of Catholics in Houston and San Antonio are Hispanic, and many have turned to God to bring peace and blessing to a country struggling with violence and poverty. The pope's visit comes in the middle of Lent, a time of devotion and pilgrimage for Catholics. St. Jerome's in Spring Branch - a parish that's 80 percent Hispanic - erupted into applause when Deacon Pedro Salas announced that he and his wife were joining the Montoyas and another couple, the Medinas, on a trip to see the Holy Father. Parishioners passed Pedro Salas photos of the pope, prayer cards and beaded rosaries to take with him to be blessed. Going on pilgrimage generally increases people's faith, and when they come back, the entire parish community can share in those experiences. The beloved Pope John Paul II rose to special popularity among Mexican Catholics, with his multiple visits to the country and their shared strong devotion to the Virgin Mary.
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